Almost Is Never Enough
by TigerLily957
Summary: They were so close to being in love, just two worlds apart. If only he knew that she wanted him the way he wanted her. BBRae.
1. Can You Stand The Rain?

___Disclaimer - I do not own the superhero team of five that is the Teen Titans. _

* * *

The past few weeks had been rough for Jump City. Since the blissful days of summer had suddenly faded, a promise of autumn's return was soon to begin. Alas, a change in air and color had taken place. There once was a sense of life and freshness, such a rejuvenating time. The same excitement had died within days, creating a dulled atmosphere and an icy chill down summer's spine. Lush scenery of vibrant greens, pink, and blue had instantly disappeared, creating a streak of gray to paint the city skyline. The forecast would be rainfall for the next few weeks without ceasing. Sullen weather was unusual for such an upbeat place as Jump City, but the mood had been fitting.

Sidewalks were unusually bare, as deep puddles formed among the pavement. A vengeful breeze had picked up, leaving worn paper advertisements to scatter in the wind. Not one soul had dared to walk in such heavy downpour, opting to keep their business inside and drive only when necessary. Not one umbrella opened, and not one to think twice about the less fortunate huddled in alleyways and under awnings to stay out of the unforgiving weather. Despite the chilling winds and sudden empty town, left a typically busy building—oddly quiet. Across the bay, nuzzled on a small island, rested a tall tower in the shape of a 'T'. Inside, it's inhabitants and protectors of Jump City were still and silent—taking in the pattering of the rain against the windows. As well as the upcoming absence of a member.

She exhaled from her nose, warm air fogging the window before dissipating. Starfire shut her eyes once she heard the drop of luggage, and slowly turned to face her teammate. "Must you leave so suddenly?"

"Don't really have a choice, Star," Beast Boy began. He shifted uncomfortably at her gloomy gaze, and focused on the bags laid before his feet. Goodbyes weren't his specialty. This certainly wasn't a goodbye. He'd see them soon—he hoped. Starfire was probably the one person he'd look forward to seeing in the near future. Her optimistic personality matched his perfectly and her features were just the basics to describe what a beautiful person she was—inside and out. Her thick, pink sweater wrapped around her body protectively and he wanted nothing more but to drop the act and give his friend a hug. Possibly one that matched her lung-collapsing ones, but he couldn't back out of the plan now. He lowered his head. Beast Boy struggled to repeat, "I really don't."

"Yeah man," the third Titan spoke; large, metallic footsteps clanking behind him. Cyborg stepped beside his friend, placing a hand on the changeling's shoulder. His green friend glanced over to give him a comforting, yet forced, smile. For all his years he had spent arguing with him over pointless dishes or video games, had he not noticed how suddenly Beast Boy matured. It was like sending his child off to college. The two endured tough times together, for this to be the end—he couldn't possibly imagine happening. "You don't have to go," he pleaded.

"Cy—"

"No." Cyborg firmly shook his head. "Just hear me out. Wait another day or somethin'. The weather's crazy out there, B."

"Cy." Beast Boy leant his head back to prevent the tears welling in his eyes from falling. His eyelids slowly shut and he bit his bottom lip. "Come on, dude. Stop," he whispered. "You're makin' it sound like we're breaking up or something."

A joke. It wasn't his best. Even deep down inside, he knew the joke was completely forced. He wanted to lighten the mood, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Cyborg sighed. "Well you kinda are—with all of us."

"Yes, friend. Please reconsider." Starfire flew toward the young man, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Beast Boy nearly toppled backwards, but felt his body being held upright with Cyborg's hand on the small of his back. Her face sunk into his shoulder, tears leaking onto his shirt. "Please."

Beast Boy felt his heart drop. The Tamaranean was practically begging, tightening her hold around him. He looked over his shoulder toward Cyborg—who couldn't even look his best friend in the eye, finding the floor an ideal spot to stare at. Turning back to the woman softly sobbing, he wrapped his arms around her waist, reciprocating the warm embrace. "Aw Star, it'll be alright," he cooed. "You've got Dick, Cy, and—" Beast Boy swallowed, shaking his head. "You've got family. Don't cry over little old me. Come on, don't make me do the face."

This seemed to end her tears. A light chuckle produced from his teammate caused her shoulders to gently shake. He could feel her head nod against his chest. "Yes," she mumbled, releasing her arms from his neck. She stood back, vigorously wiping her face with her hands. Starfire sniffed and quickly responded, "You are correct. I should be ecstatic." Her words were whispery and rasped. It was as if Starfire were holding herself back from her outpouring pleads. She laced her hands together and sadly gazed down. "Friend, I wish you well on your journey to gain better control of your powers. May X'hal be with you."

He blinked. Powers. That word alone hit Beast Boy like a ton of bricks. Sure, that's what he told them. Power problems. He nervously scratched his earlobe. "Uh, thanks, Star. It means a lot."

"I still don't understand why you refused to have Cyborg check you out." The three superheroes turned to face their leader as he walked through the common room doors. The silver, metal doors opened with a slight swish, and he carried a hefty suitcase in his arms. Nightwing dropped the bag, nodding affirmatively. "You left one in the hallway."

"Oh. Thanks."

They stood in complete silence. The tension in the air thickening upon Dick's presence. He could have predicted everything. What he would do next when Slade returned, battle protocols, how to treat wounds, how to deal with a loss in battle, and what to do when a teammate is missing. But never did he imagine, as a leader, that he would actually lose a member. Willingly, so he added.

It was a shock to many, as Dick vaguely remembered. He could hear the clashing of dinner plates and pin-drop silence after Beast Boy's sudden comment. And as Dick looked around the room, it then hit him—everything changed. Everything around him was changing. Their dynamic would change. He was well aware that the team was getting older, but he figured this was an infinite deal. This was what they were—who they were. They were Titans. A team of five. The loss of one would throw the entire balance off. Didn't he understand that?

Ultimately, Nightwing knew better. It wasn't as if he were the ideal role model for the young changeling. When he first met Beast Boy, he seen the eagerness in his eyes. The same kind he used to carry when he first entered the world of civilian saving. He seen the boy mirror his actions, insistence on joining him, he seen—what he failed to realize as Robin—that Beast Boy wanted to be just like him.

Dick had never followed through with his full potential.

Instead, he kept him level-headed, pushed him to his limits, and trained the team until they couldn't. That's when he knew—Beast Boy had changed. As the green shapeshifter got older, a mutual respect and less admiration was shared between the two. Beast Boy proved a worthy enough teammate, Robin proved a worthy enough leader. They played video games together, though not as intensely as Cyborg. They spent slow days in the training room, working to build their physique and battle tactics. They acknowledged one another when passing by and kept conversations brief and light. Only when need be did the changeling ever disturb his friend in the evidence room. And only when urgent did the leader ever enter Beast Boy's room for a favor. He couldn't come to him as easily as the others, but he knew their friendship was based on a level of respect and acceptance. Perhaps, if he would have been a bit more lenient, maybe Beast Boy could have shared his troubles. Maybe he could have helped him.

Nightwing's eyebrows furrowed. "You do understand that the purpose of the infirmary is for our health."

"Um. Good to know, dude." Beast Boy shrugged. "I don't need the infirmary."

"It wouldn't be of much harm, Beast Boy, to have Cyborg run a few scans. If you feel the Beast is becoming a threat again, then—"

"Look, that's nice and all, but I don't want it," Beast Boy interrupted, bending down to pick up his bags. Cyborg and Starfire quietly assisted, pulling the straps of his backpack over his shoulder. "I just need to take some time off. Get my head together."

"I figure it's better addressing the situation now than having to subdue you later," Nightwing insisted. "I'm sorry, Gar, but if you don't get proper treatment and become a conflict of interest, you give us no choice but to take you down."

"And who says I'm going to be a conflict of interest?"

"Gar," Nightwing tried to reason with his friend. He scrambled to find the right words, opting to run his fingers through his hair. "We protect the city. If we don't know what's going on with you, you could end up hurting people." Beast Boy stood back up, adjusting the strap. He stared him down, angry pout causing his bottom fang to jut from his mouth. Nightwing heaved a sigh. "We could end up hurting you."

Beast Boy wanted to scream out loud, he wanted it all to end. He couldn't continue on with this lie. Nor could he bear to see his friends suffer because of his own selfishness. Nothing was physically wrong with him—and to expose this would come with worse consequences. Beast Boy tugged on the suitcase handle and stomped past his friends. "We'll see."

"You're really doing this? Leaving your team?" Nightwing crossed his arms. "All because of a mishap that you refuse to receive help with."

"Um." Beast Boy became paranoid. He was suffocating with their scrutinizing glares and saddened moods. Dick was beginning to figure him out, and he didn't know how long he could pretend exiting. He kept a neutral composure, however, lifting a bag higher in the air. "Yeah. Dude, it's kinda late to back out now. I need this. Please."

Begging. Smooth, because begging seemed to always work in his favor. Beast Boy wasn't sure how long he'd keep standing—or breathing.

"Well," Nightwing sighed with a small sag of his shoulders. It would be pointless to convince him otherwise. Beast Boy made up his mind and there would be no turning back. "It was—it was great working with you, Gar. If you need anything, you've got your communicator and everyone's line programmed in there. So, uh, just give us a call."

"Will do."

"I will miss you," Starfire whispered, springing forward for another hug. He proceeded to hold his posture as she engulfed him in a final embrace. Beast Boy gently patted her back.

"I'll miss you too, Star. Take care of 'em for me, 'kay?" He nodded knowingly to Nightwing and Cyborg. Beast Boy's held Cyborg's gaze. He and his longtime friend locked eyes, staring one another down. Beast Boy buried his head in Starfire's shoulder, giving her a final squeeze before peeling himself away.

"Cy—"

"Don't."

Beast Boy nodded. He understood. He didn't want him anymore, and it was completely understandable. How could he leave his best friend alone—without a proper reason. They told each other everything and for this to suddenly happen didn't seem right to the cybernetic Titan. He knew Beast Boy had secrets, but one that caused him to abruptly leave had to be extreme. And it hurt—to know that his own friend couldn't even confide in him. Cyborg watched the changeling begin to walk away before he snatched his wrist and pulled him into a hug.

"Come here, ya crazy green bean."

The two hugged. As Gar sunk happily into the bittersweet embrace, Cyborg swiftly put him into a headlock, giving his teammate a noogie on his head. Beast Boy chuckled before pushing Cyborg off him.

"Dude!"

"Come on, grass stain. Couldn't let you leave without a final noogie."

Beast Boy grinned. He looked to each person in the room, taking time to enjoy their features. Enjoy them. This was his family. He couldn't imagine leaving them behind. He—was leaving what was left behind.

Leaving.

Beast Boy's grin was immediately wiped from his face. He was doing this. Running. Not leaving, but running away. He could have handled it differently, he could end this now. But he couldn't. Beast Boy frowned, walking toward the exit. "Uh, well..I guess this is it. I'll...call."

It worked. He was free. Free from their looks, concerns, interrogations. More importantly, he was free from his inner demons that tormented him daily. Demons. Huh, funny how that word seemed to leave a foreign taste in his mouth. One he couldn't figure out how to avoid aftertaste and confusion. This was for the better of him, and he could only hope this small break was a last minute release from his fears. He feared her. He feared—everything. Beast Boy would be back, when he got over it all. He was sure of it.

Beast Boy approached the common room doors, taking a step before Nightwing said, "Did you at least say goodbye—to Raven?"

He froze, feet planted in place. He considered turning around, he considered responding, he actually considered every possible solution. In fact, he even wanted to tell them why he couldn't and why she was the reason he needed to take a break. However, he didn't. Beast Boy walked down the hallway—allowing the metal doors to shut behind him.

* * *

- **This is going to be a quick four or five chapter/one-shot story. Chapter Two is coming very soon, with much more dialogue and fluff. In the meantime**,** I hope you review! :)**


	2. Piano Blues

"Guys!" Beast Boy excitedly jumped up and down until the doors finally opened. He skipped through the common room. "Guess what I have?!"

"Hold it. If it isn't a new stereo system for my baby, I don't care," Cyborg grumbled, rummaging through the refrigerator. Beast Boy shook his head. "Figures."

"A glorbglab for my gnarfka?" Starfire clasped her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, please, please say it is so," she whispered.

"Uh..no." Beast Boy scratched his head. "I wouldn't know _who_ or _what_ that is anyways. Sorry, Star." Starfire opened her eyes. With a pout, she took a seat beside her two friends.

"Come on guys," Beast Boy encouraged, looking around the room. "Guess what I have."

Raven lifted her eyes from her book. "A brain?"

"Ha, ha. Cute. But no!" Beast Boy growled, crossing his arms.

"Whatever it is, Beast Boy, is it legal?" Nightwing inquired. Beast Boy bit his bottom lip nervously. "No, seriously. Is it?"

"It is! It's legal. I think." He scratched his chin. "Anyways, I'm at the mall and they're having this raffle, right?! So I'm like..dude..just do it. What's the chance of us winning anyway? And they called my name!" Beast Boy grinned, slowly backing toward the door. "So I won this.."

. . .

"There's no way we're keeping a grand piano in the Tower," Nightwing declared. He knitted his brows together and faced his green teammate. "Gar, get rid of it."

"No way! Dick, this thing is awesome!" Beast Boy pleaded, flinging his body over the instrument. "Please! Come on, we can keep it near the window. Or on the roof!"

Starfire moved between Beast Boy and Nightwing, skeptically scanning the object over with her eyes. A neon green glow emitted from her fingertips. The Tamaranean slowly stood in a battle stance. "What is the piano?"

"This thing." Beast Boy smoothly caressed his hand over the top. Starfire's green power bolts grew brighter. The contraption looked deathly—and Beast Boy wasn't necessarily the best when it came to good judgment and receiving mysterious gifts. It had to be destroyed.

Beast Boy's eyes widened and he jumped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, Tiger. Look, Star, it's a piano. It won't bite. Just touch it." She wrinkled her nose.

"Well, if you are certain.." Starfire carefully approached the large item, powering down her starbolts. She gently pulled the black cover back and, with a curious finger, tapped on the keys. Upon hearing the echo of a deep note, she paled and flew behind Cyborg for cover. "Eep!"

"See, it's a distraction and—way too big. Where are we going to put this thing?" Nightwing closed the lid. He eyed the instrument and then around the common room. There was simply no place for a grand piano. Besides, it wasn't as if any of the Titans were savvy with such an instrument or had enough time for it. He definitely didn't want a beautiful piece collecting dust.

"Uh, you act like there's no space. We could put it in the kitchen, the roof, the evidence room, the infirmary," Beast Boy replied, counting off the places with his fingers. "The garage, that corner where Raven's always reading—" The sorceress rolled her eyes. "The sand on the island, oh! Oh! Your room. Silkie's cage might have some space or—"

"No." Nightwing gave a finalized shake of his head. "I want it gone, by tomorrow."

Beast Boy frowned, his pointed ears drooping. "But—"

"Tomorrow, Gar." He sighed, patting the disappointed changeling on the shoulder. "That's an order."

. . .

Thin, green bed sheets twisted around his body as Beast Boy tossed and turned. He flung a pillow over his head, before growling and and tossing it to the floor. Beast Boy comfortably placed his hands behind his head and took a deep breath. Frustrated with his current position, he flipped over, and stared at the ceiling.

It was painful to get rid of a beautiful instrument. There was such an attachment that he couldn't break. Perhaps hearing his mother play classical pieces when he was younger or his longing to learn. Beast Boy just couldn't get rid of that piano! It was tormenting enough hearing it play in his sleep. Figuring he wouldn't get any proper rest, Beast Boy swung his legs over his bed, tossed on a wrinkled shirt, and decided to scavenge for a midnight snack.

Pianos were treasured back when she was smaller. Another form of meditation, so to say. Just like her thoughts and emotions, sound was a form of energy. It originated in her mind and soul. Each tap of a key sent a flow through her back, shoulder, elbows, forearms and wrists. Her fingers transferred its energy from her mind and body to the instrument. Even when the piece she practiced seemed extremely difficult and impossible to play, she never gave up. She played very slowly at first, monitoring all her sensations, until it became comfortable to execute a decent tune. Raven gradually increased the tempo in a flowing motion. Her eyes closed, reveling in the melody and power streaming through her fingertips. Her head began to gently nod off. There would be nothing to break her concentration.

"Hey! I didn't know you play.."

Too soon. Her eyes snapped open, a glass cup struck with black aura shattered in the kitchen. Swiftly turning around and glaring at him, Raven scowled.

"Heh, oops. Sorry." Beast Boy scratched his head nervously. "I'd hate to be the one on cleanup duty tomorrow."

Her eyes narrowed and Beast Boy nervously gulped. "I probably should've..um...yeah. By all means, don't stop!" he squeaked, beginning to back away. "I was just getting a snack." He stuck a thumb toward the kitchen reassuringly.

"Do as you please."

He slowly headed to his designation with such caution, as he felt her eyes piercing into his back. He hated that, her creepy, silent stares. Beast Boy stopped, softly mumbling, "Chopin's Nocturne in a C-Minor. Nice." When his comment to break the ice met with no response, he began to quietly trudge away.

"Do you play?" He turned to look at her; her eyes gazed at the ivory keys. She glanced up, violet eyes meeting his.

"I mean..I might know a few notes to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," he chuckled. Raven pursed her lips, lowering her gaze back to the piano. "I've always wanted to properly learn, though."

"I see." With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a dark claw to pull the cover over the piano keys. Raven felt for her hood, finding the fabric slipping from on top of her head. "You should try lessons."

"Teach me." Sensing her glare in the dark made his blood run cold. He was brave when it came to many things, but challenging Raven was insane. Beast Boy cleared his throat, his voice barely cracking. "I wanna learn. Hey, if I can prove to Dick to let me keep this thing..I should at least play him a few tunes." His left ear twitched, as he heard the sudden rumbling of cabinets, but made no knowledge of it.

"I don't..I don't think that's—" Raven started to get up, but felt herself being pushed down. A warm, green hand pressed against her shoulder, which was quickly removed in record time.

"Nah, it'll be fun! Come on, Rae!" Beast Boy scooted alongside the empath on the piano bench. He cracked his knuckles and stretched. "Alright! So, what's first?! Mozart? Beethoven? A Thousand Miles?!"

"None." Raven tapped a few keys before picking up a riff. Her movements were graceful and her posture was straight. Beast Boy observed quietly, occasionally swaying his head. She tilted her head to the right. "F-Sharp every ten seconds." He gave a puzzled look before finding the right key. She nodded approvingly. "Good. G-Sharp. Keep up."

He obliged to every command, enjoying the task of playing catch up. A large, toothy grin spread across his face, as he grew accustomed to the melody wafting life through the stillness of the room. "Sounds awesome!" he cheered, tapping the keys faster. "I'm like..a pro!"

Raven narrowed her eyes. The changeling needed to be thrown off track. It was entertaining to see him attempt to reach her speed. "Combine them." A slight amused smirk twisted the corners of her lips. "If you can."

"Oh. I can!" He pushed down on multiple keys, forgetting the piece they had originally agreed on and shifted into his own composition. Beast Boy became engrossed in the peaceful melody, a surprised expression finding its way on his face. Raven slowed her pace, watching him play on his own. He honestly didn't know he was capable of carrying a tune alone, but he couldn't stop his determination to complete it. Beast Boy's hands moved to the left, eventually, his pinky linking with a cold object. His hand brushed on top of hers. Her skin felt like ice, and sent a chill down his spine. Beast Boy blanched. He instantly glanced at her, mouth stammering a, "Sorry."

He stopped playing altogether, avoiding to look at the paled girl's face. Without a sudden afterthought, felt his body shift. A green turtle buried itself within its shell, falling over the piano bench and onto the floor. Raven's hood flew upwards as she quickly exited the room.

They both secretly never forgave Nightwing for donating the piano to a music store the next day.

* * *

A violet cloud spiraled in the air, almost mimicking a thick fog. Raven slowly emerged from the haze, dizzily taking a step back. She clutched her chest in a desperate attempt to catch her breath.

Teleportation from Nevermore to reality was never an easy process. It often left her drained and powerless, depending on her use of meditation that day. Clearing the room of all fog with a swift wave of her hand, she bent down and cradled the silver mirror in her palms. They were being quite unreasonable as of late, and she simply did not have time for a second meeting. The first was adjourned after a brief struggle. It certainly didn't help with each one being unbelievably vocal during her recent visit. She rolled her eyes. Nevermore would be dealt with in the following morning.

With a sigh, the paled woman opened the top drawer of her dresser and stuffed the item beneath her clothing before gently shutting it. Rubbing her temples, she sensed their bewilderment and frustration. Arguing would do nothing to calm them down nor would it rid her of an excruciating migraine. A sleeping enchantment and tea—she could suffice until the next day.

Snatching the cloak off her bed, she clamped it around her shoulders and headed for the common room.

. . .

"Stop, fish."

"Go fish, Star. It's 'Go fish' not stop," Nightwing corrected. He collected her fallen cards and neatly stacked them in a deck. Peering at his two sullen teammates, Nightwing sighed. "Maybe we should take a break." Cyborg could only grunt a response as Starfire sadly nodded.

The common room doors slid open, with the Tamaranean's face lighting up. She immediately froze and then sunk her head lower—realizing Raven's presence. "Oh. Hello, friend."

Raven didn't bother to speak, nodding at the three in acknowledgement. She didn't need to be told twice about a fourth presence missing, deciding to walk to the large window.

She was always drawn to it. That spot. Perhaps due to where the piano used to once reside. If only for twenty-four hours. Perhaps it was knowing that she could overlook the bay, or feel at one with such tranquil scenery. However, she couldn't help but feel a tug of remorse at her side as she watched the rain fall somberly over the bay. Thick, gray clouds blanketing the overcast sky. Her hand lifted, and she pressed her palm against the glass as raindrops pattered against the window. She shut her eyes, deeply exhaling. For once, her emotions became silent. Better.

"You know," a voice called behind her. Raven didn't dare move, allowing Nightwing's presence to take up the empty space next to her. "This rain seems like it's never going to end."

She nodded cautiously. Nightwing was a man of many things—interrogating others was one of them. That, alongside studying. She was aware that he was studying her. If he needed answers, he found the wrong place. Her lips managed to part, and she replied, "Supposedly."

He kept his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the window. His tense posture and sudden pang of irritation did not go unnoticed by the empath. She could sense a bit of emptiness and anger from her leader as well. He didn't waste time getting to the point. "It doesn't feel the same without him. I feel like something's missing." He gave a dry chuckle. "I'd even go as far to say the heart of the team."

"People stay, people go. It's life." She shrugged her shoulders. "We needn't worry ourselves over dead weight."

"You sure about that? Dead weight?" he asked in a low voice. A loud crack, signaling the dent of her kettle, and Raven squeezed her eyes together tighter. Utensils placed in their designated drawer began to shake. She was starting to slip up. Nightwing furrowed his brow. "Raven, are you sure—"

"I'm fine." Cyborg and Starfire screamed simultaneously as the playing cards in their hand melted into a black puddle. They diverted their attention to an unnerved Raven. "I'm fine."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "Well, alright. I believe you."

She knew he was lying. He didn't believe her. It was his hesitant pause. It was the change in his tone, the surge of confusion and sadness lurking in his mind. He looked at her with such uncertainty as if he were studying her—or trying to figure her out. She pushed away from the glass and swiftly pivoted away; keeping her head low and strides fast. "I'm going for a walk."

"Out in this weather?" Nightwing inquired as she briskly marched past him, indigo cloak flapping in the wind. He turned around before she could reach the doors. "Look, I already lost one teammate, Raven." The empath halted. Nightwing sighed, lowering his head. "I can't lose another."

She took a step forward, triggering the sensors as the door opened. "Then don't stop me."

* * *

—The responses from you all are wonderful. I'm so grateful. To end any confusion, there will be a flashback before going into the present. Two chapters down, four to go. It's now a six-chapter story! Hope you enjoy and I'd appreciate if you'd please review! I'll be responding next update, which is hopefully sooner than this. :)


	3. Dancing With The Devil

It was _too_ easy. A simple blast of fluorescent energy beaming from his palms and he had all four Titans on the ground. It felt empowering looking at them practically beg for mercy—or so he pictured in his mind, at least. Nightwing was a persistent one, he must admit, crawling to reach him with a bent bo-staff in hand. The man strode over to the partially-blinded Titans' leader, lifting his steel-toed boot and knocking him over. He could've done more, but the blinking light on his armor warned him that he needed to recharge. Seeing that they would be disabled for the next five minutes, he cackled and attempted to escape by running away. It wasn't often that a villain actually stepped up to the challenge of defeating the Titans. And boy, did victory feel good.

"Haven't you learned?" he hissed. "Your pathetic skills can't outshine the brilliance of Doctor Light!"

Sprinting for the exit, Doctor Light pulled circular metal devices from his front pocket. "Maybe this will _brighten_ your day. Farewell, Titans, it's been—mood lightening."

Giving each befallen Titan a feigned sympathetic look, he tossed two small grenades to the floor—smiling at the loud boom and flash of light. A puff of yellow smoke clouded the air and he didn't wait another minute to hear their coughs or vows to catch him.

Doctor Light kicked the door open and bolted down the hallway. His power suit had been absorbing much of the building's energy, causing overhead lights to flicker. However, his trip became short as the hallway ended with a staircase. The armored man gripped a nearby wall to prevent himself from falling over the edge. He stopped, eyes nervously swiveling around. Of all places to rob, he never really understood why he chose a power plant. Then again, he never thought he'd get this far.

A power plant attained all the equipment he needed to build a better suit. One that would require enough energy to have Jump City on their knees. What an achievement to reach, if only he would have planned out a better escape. But now was not the time to reflect on his disadvantages. Sliding down the railing of the stairs, he reached the bottom floor, gracefully sticking his landing on tile. Scanning the white lobby with his eyes, Doctor Light determined the coast was clear and sprinted for the door.

A deranged smirk crept upon his lips. This was it. He actually did it. He actually got away from the Titans. Sure, he had a gash snaking down his neck from the green one that had maliciously clawed him in tiger form, but it was nothing he couldn't bandage. Yes, the half-human and very attractive alien with broken English did a number on him, but that was to be expected. Naturally, he engaged in an overtly rough struggle with Nightwing—but that was nothing out of the norm. However, he missed one. Actually, he didn't even come in contact with the other.

"Hold on..one, two, three, four. _Four_." Doctor Light felt his face drain of color as he stopped sprinting and began to walk. How could he have missed one? They were on the ground—he _seen_ them. The atmosphere in the lobby was quiet—almost eerie. There was only the sound of his shoe soles squeaking against the floor. And as he stared at the exit that led outside, he contemplated the dangers he'd face. She'd spring out from no where and drag him back into a pitch black abyss. Doctor Light's breathing hitched at the remembrance of their few encounters. Shakily backing away from the door, he turned around to run in the opposite direction.

"Going somewhere?" she seethed. A pool of swirling black energy spread across the floor. Her use of dark aura caused the room to grow extremely cold. In a slow motion, the demoness gradually rose through the portal. A dark cowl concealed her face but allowed enough light for her violet eyes to glow within its dark surroundings. If Doctor Light weren't so terrified, he would have responded back. A high-pitched squeak only came out of his mouth, followed by wobbling of the villain's knees. He babbled a few nonsensical phrases before she calmly lifted her hand in the air. "I suggest jail."

"Jail is nice," he taunted, hoping his tone came out more menacing than usual. His hand slid down his chest, twisting on a lightbulb knob placed in the middle of his armor. Raven tilted her head. "However, my dear, I think you should _lighten_ up."

Before she had a chance to shout her mantra, he removed his hand. An iridescent beam of light struck the woman in her face. Raven faltered backwards, being forcefully shoved to the ground as he ran past her. She rubbed her eyes, wincing at the burning sensation pricking her retina. Her mind whirred, making Raven nauseous and panicked at the same time. She couldn't see a thing. Everything around her was dark. She whipped her head around frantically as lightbulbs above her popped. It didn't help that they are all were shrieking—and one in particular clawed at her mind.

_We can't see! Raven, think critically_. _I hate the dark! Where are the others? Kill him_. Her red-cloaked counterpart hissed lowly, each whispery threat dripping like venom from her bloodthirsty mouth. Raven tried to silence them by clutching her head and clenching her teeth together.

"Stop," Raven demanded, gripping her head tighter. "I am in control. I am in control."

It did no good as the fury inflaming inside the young sorceress's body grew stronger. She begged for her doppelgänger to stop. But as Raven's pleadings became quieter and distant—her coherency was also beginning to lose focus. She got what she wanted, forcing Raven to lurch forward. The woman's body shook in a rippling motion. Her hands curled over, fingernails piercing into her skin. Hungry for flesh, her mouth curled upwards into a large smile.

Raven's skin burnt and peeled beneath her eyelids, creating two slits. The half demon's head snapped upwards at the empty hallway—four pairs of eyes glowing red.

"_Freedom_."

. . .

"She should be back by now with Light," Nightwing grumbled, offering his hand to Starfire. She grabbed his hand and lifted up. "Cyborg, any readings on Raven?"

"None." He pressed a few buttons on his arm. A small holographic screen appeared. Cyborg narrowed his eyes as a red dot blinked and then disappeared. "Actually, we just lost her communicator signal." His face became stony, as he looked to each Titan. "Raven's missing."

Beast Boy scrambled to get up from the floor, pushing aside his two friends to get a better view of the screen. He pulled his eyebrows together and looked up at Cyborg. "Not funny. This isn't the time for jokes, Cy."

"If I was jokin', B, I'd be laughing right now," Cyborg said. He rubbed his head nervously. "I don't know! I can't trace her signal! I think—I think she's gone."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"Dude, of all the times you tracked me at the arcade..you mean to tell me you can't find a signal this time?!" Beast Boy shouted, stepping nose-to-nose with Cyborg. The changeling was oddly livid. It was unusual for him to feel so panicked and angry, but a missing teammate reminded him of death. Something he was not mentally prepared to deal with. Maybe it was his animalistic instinct, but he knew something would happen. Not knowing what exactly was wrong infuriated him. Beast Boy felt his voice raise a little higher. "It's not _that_ hard!"

"Well I don't see you offering to fix this system—"

"Guys, knock it off!" Nightwing pinched the bridge of his nose. Raven going off on her own was apart of the plan. For her to suddenly go missing didn't seem right—at all. He snatched Beast Boy's arm back, shoving him beside Starfire. The Tamaranean princess and changeling exchanged glances. "Let's handle this rationally." He took a breath and moved forward to observe the screen. "Is there any way that we can fix this?"

"Light's little suit took up most of my battery. I'd try but it'll be dead before it can even reboot."

"In that case, we're on foot. This power plant is too big to track just one location alone." Nightwing scratched his chin. "We're going to have to split up. Beast Boy, you take the North Wing. Starfire, you're with Cyborg. Take on the East Corridor. I'll—"

"Wait, do you hear that?" Starfire began to open her mouth when Beast Boy suddenly pressed a finger against her lips. His ear twitched. "I think..I hear something—"

The Titans didn't need a second reminder to move when they heard a distant scream.

. . .

He huddled in a dark corner, hugging his knees together. What was he thinking striking her? She was absolutely sinister. This darkened corner gave him enough concealment to stay hidden—at least until the Titans came to his rescue. He scoffed at the irony. The ones he defeated were the ones saving him. A dark shadow crept up to the corner, snaking up his back. Doctor Light shuddered at the coldness, squeezing his eyes tighter. The shadow morphed into a claw, wrapping around his torso and one around his mouth. He attempted to scream and claw at the tile as he was dragged toward her. His fingers slid against the glossy floor.

"Tell me, Light," she whispered, mouth rabidly dripping with saliva. His fear fed her with pleasure, as she bared her teeth. "Do you fear the dark?"

He was pulled upward to face her, but found himself going wide eyed at the black tendrils lashing out at him beneath her cloak. She towered in size about five extra feet and several red eyes blinked underneath her hood. The man squirmed but felt himself being constricted. Doctor Light muffled a scream before he felt his heart skip a beat upon hearing, "Raven, put him down!"

Four Titans prepared a battle stance. One posted in the air with glowing starbolts, the other aiming a cannon at her, a green cheetah crouching low and prepared to pounce, and Nightwing strategically spinning his bo-staff. How they did not fear her, the villain did not understand. "Put him down, Raven. _Now_."

She lowered Doctor Light, though, keeping him close to her. Her lips twitched into a smirk. "Or what?" she growled. Each Titan could feel a shiver go up their spine. They were aware that they were no longer speaking to Raven. Nightwing let out a shaky breath, hovering his finger over a red button on the bo-staff.

"Titans, go!" Pressing the button, a blast of light followed by Cyborg's sonic cannon energy, shot at her arms. She stumbled backwards, claws releasing Doctor Light. The two men charged at her firing shots as Beast Boy sprinted for the villain. He pounced, biting ends of the suit with his teeth and with all his willpower flung Doctor Light toward the wall—into Starfire's care. She put the villain into a chokehold, instructing him to do as she told while they flew toward the exit.

"Stop!"

A dome of dark energy surrounded the half-demon girl and sent a blasting shockwave through the room. The three males cowered back, gripping anything stable as the room shook. Raven's body and skin stretched toward the force's various direction that pulled her in. Her screams and shouts of letting go frightened them. She gave a final shout, eyes glowing white and hands cracking with dark energy. Encasing the room in black, she found against its power, pressing her body forward. With a loud snapping sound, the dome dispersed—all around them returned to normal.

. . .

After moments of silence, Raven's form grew smaller. She shook violently, grabbing her head, and muttering various incantations. It was incoherent and rushed, and they couldn't pick up what she was saying fast enough. Raven fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

Nightwing and Cyborg backed away, giving her enough space to reconnect with her inner self before moving in. However, a green cheetah crept closer, head tilted in curiosity. "Beast Boy!" Nightwing snapped. "Get back now!"

"Man, what are you doing?! Are you askin' for a death wish!"

"Beast Boy!" they shouted in unison.

The feline froze, listening to their demands of stepping away. But, he couldn't find enough power to pull himself back. Lifting a paw, he began to position himself in a crouching manner, dipping his head low as he slowly approached the fallen woman. He purred, sticking his nose in the air and inhaled. The scent was still fresh and her heartbeat pounding in his ear alerted him that she was still alive. Her chest slowly rose and fell. Barely breathing, but alive. Occasionally, she'd twitch then became still. He lowered his head, nudging her shoulder with his muzzle.

Raven's head immediately snapped upwards, eyes glowering a red color. She hissed at him, baring her teeth. Raven then blinked, eyes flashing back to their normal violet hue. Her lips and fingers trembled. Finding no words to come out of her mouth, she blankly stared back at him.

Beast Boy's feline skeletal frame morphed back into his human form, and he weakly smiled. Perhaps it was his sigh of relief or flooding emotions. He pulled her into a gentle hug, pressing her head against his chest. Beast Boy carefully rubbed the half-conscious woman's back in a circular motion. "Way to give us a scare, Rae," he scolded, a light tease coating his tone. "Don't worry, we gotcha. You're gonna be fine, promise. I've got you." Turning back to Robin and Cyborg, he called over his shoulder, "You guys still scared or can we get her to the T-Car now?"

. . .

She never thanked him for his kindness or understanding that day. As soon as she was placed into the car, Raven fell into a deep slumber only to be awoken four hours later in one of the infirmary cots with IVs stuck in her arm. Cyborg had naturally taken over the doctor role, putting her through a series of tests and assessments with his clipboard. She _hated_ it. Hated feeling the remainder of them drip with apprehension and concern. She was aware that they were worried for her wellbeing, and aware of Nightwing's list of questions he had yet to ask her. It was knowing what she could have done that terrified her.

The three days Raven had taken to privately recuperate from such a power draining experience, she avoided visiting Nevermore. Possibly her inability to confront one emotion would not be enough to prevent her from confronting them all. Instead, she meditated and worked alongside Cyborg in the infirmary.

It wasn't until Cyborg deemed that she was fit enough to return to her regularly scheduled activities that she began to relax a bit. Using a flashlight, he tested her right eye and finally the left. Clicking a button, he powered down his flashlight and leaned back with a smile. "Well, everything looks fit as a fiddle. You're lookin' good, but I'd take it easy. At least for another week."

She nodded, gaze falling to her feet. "Thank you."

His face softened. Cyborg gently patted her shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it. Listen, we're here to help you, you're gonna be alright." She wanted to believe him. Truly in her heart she hoped to believe him. But Raven could see the fear in his eyes, the cautionary steps he had taken when speaking to her. He was readying himself for the worst. Raven didn't need to feel his emotions to know he was secretly afraid. Maybe Cyborg sensed this. Nudging her shoulder, he added, "Three days cooped up in here, I think you needa grand slam breakfast. Eggs, bacon, waffles. Too good to pass up, Rae, if I do say so myself. Whaddya say?" She gave a small smile and cautiously hopped off the bed's edge.

"I'll hold off on it. However, I do appreciate your efforts."

Making her trek to the exit, she stopped when Cyborg commented, "Hey. Don't thank me, it's all the grass stain. If it weren't for that little rascal checkin' up on you, we'd probably still be scared of getting fried!" With a soft chuckle, Cyborg turned his back to her and began to organize his work station. His joke was harmless, but the words replayed in her mind.

. . .

She couldn't understand how he could do it. Eat cereal so passionately and yet not once address what he had done. His actions were uncalled for, and ate at her conscious. It was in her nature to thank those that helped her, but Raven couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe because it was him and the smug look on his face would make her regret her decision. Or maybe because she was confused. Peering over at the green male digging into the bowl, retrieving another spoonful of cereal, Raven grimaced and focused on her cup. She had left it out for so long that her tea became cold. Then again, she had no desire to drink in the first place. It was a cheap shot. Using an excuse of requiring tea to get close to him. She wanted to see if he would pester her about it. Something. But he hadn't, and it drove her need for an explanation insane. Fingers drumming against the countertop, Raven squeezed her eyes shut. "Why'd you do it?"

"Huh?" he mumbled, mouth full of food. "Do what?"

Her hand carelessly waved around as her mind fumbled to find the appropriate phrase. "Everything. Earlier. Why?"

Well that certainly wasn't something he expected. Raven leant a little closer to the counter. Although she seemed unnerved, he was well aware that he did bother her.

"Well," Beast Boy leaned back and grunted. "It's not really rocket science."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

"For starters, we've all got our little issues, Rae," he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I dunno. You're not _that_ kinda person, we're not _that_ kinda people. Besides, if I was getting a little outta control—I'd want a friend there for me too." His shoulders shrugged. "Plus, I know you'd do it for me. That's what best friends are for, right?"

He stared at her. There was nothing malicious, nothing of a pranking manner, just truly genuine. She diverted her direction back to her mug of cold tea, a flush of red on her cheeks—though concealed under the darkness of her hood. Beast Boy resumed eating, a small toothy grin on his face when she responded, "Right."

* * *

The sloshing sound of walking through rain puddles and squeaky boots made Raven feel uncomfortable. She didn't know why she left the Tower without an umbrella, considering the current weather conditions. However, the mental scolding left as soon as it came when her thoughts traveled elsewhere. She didn't know where she was walking in particular. It just felt right.

The tower was too suffocating anyways. Between Starfire's sobs, Nightwing's disappointment, or Cyborg's sighs—it was too much emotional travesty for one empath to handle. Besides, it wasn't as if there were three unpredictable emotions she had to deal with in the Tower. Back in her mind, commotion ensued. Keeping her head low as the rain beat against her cloak, Raven counted her steps. She was currently up to four hundred and fifty-seven. Her body froze as her shoulder brushed against a passing figure. The teenaged boy looked up at her.

"Sorry, miss," he mumbled, adjusting his cap. Raven shrugged indifferently continuing to walk. He had moved a few steps before stopping. Wasn't that Raven? From the Titans? Eyes growing wide, he looked back to call out her name, but found the sidewalk empty. He twisted his head, staring in every direction. But she was already gone. The boy shook his head, "Just my imagination."

* * *

—Wow, that was long. I felt you guys deserved it though for being amazing. Next chapter might require a holding onto something. It's going to get shaky. Thank you for reading and I hope you leave a review. :)

BritishWaffleSyrup - The fact that he ate your popcorn AND your lawn chair..Totally unacceptable! Haha.

PennamePersona - I hope you liked the second chapter then :)

Guest - Ahhh so many questions, so little time. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hehe.

Guest - Wow, thank you!

noaverageangel - Hello again! Sounds weird but I always seem to recognize your username haha. Welcome! I can't wait for you to learn more :)

aj - Your reactions literally brighten my day. Haha. Wow. Thank you so much.

AHappyCamper - I'd like to say your insinuations aren't too far-fetched :) Hmm.

GothlyRaven - Thank you so much. I am so happy that you liked it. Wow. Thank you.

Jr. Junior - Beast Boy has wise words. I wish there was more Nevermore too! It's not completely cancelled out. But we'll see where it's going. Thank you!


	4. Rest Your Bones

"I want to take the time to acknowledge your obedience and conducting yourselves as such during this meeting." She was the only one standing amongst her peers. Honestly, she felt uncomfortable holding an authoritative position. It wasn't typical of her to host such silent events, noting that each barely had anything to contribute to the conversation. Raven glanced around the circular stone table, confirming she held each person's utmost attention before continuing. "As everything appears orderly, we can conclude early. Are there any questions?"

A pale hand shot up in the air. Everyone seated inwardly groaned at the pink-cloaked woman squirming in her chair. Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Yes?"

"Oh, oh! _Finally_. I thought you were gonna keep talking forever like blah blah blah," she remarked, making chatter gestures with her hand. An icy glare shot in her direction, and the woman visibly paled. She cleared her throat. "Kidding! I wanna ask when we'll get twenty minutes a day of 'free-time' if you know what I mean—"

"No."

She pouted, bottom lip sticking out. "Not fair, Raven! You always let Rage get all the fun."

"I do not."

"Do too! Come on, let us have some fun. It's so boring here!" she whined. Her pink-cloaked counterpart folded her arms across her chest in defiance. "It's like you favor her."

Raven slowly exhaled and closed her eyes. "She has been dealt with. It was not 'free-time' and I strongly encourage you all not to conceptualize the thought of 'free-time'. It was an older occurrence that I'd like to forget."

"Forget? Oh please! It's like totally instilled in our mind—" The giggling girl was silenced as an adjacent companion elbowed her in the ribs.

"Meeting adjourned." Despite the collective protests and groans, each emoticlone hesitantly rose. She received a pat on the shoulder or a "Goodbye" from all as they vacated the area and phased back into their respective domains. Raven bowed her head, feeling her body sink lower and fists ball against the tabletop.

They didn't understand. Free time didn't mean possessing her body to terrify her friends for their own benefit. Free time didn't mean potentially threatening the lives of innocent—villain or not. Her self control seemed to be slipping from her grasp lately, and it was a petrifying thought. What if she couldn't control it? Her friends, they didn't understand either. Raven's eyes snapped open.

Technically, not all of her friends.

She felt her body shiver as a second presence approached her from behind. Raven rolled her eyes. "My arguing was a bit premature, I understand. I'll have a word with her before my departure."

"Happy can be very—overwhelming." She leant close to Raven on her tip toes and whispered, "Having dealt with her for years and learning to differentiate all hues of pink, you learn to tune her out or handle it as best fit. Never an in-between. Not an opinion, just mere fact."

The corner of Raven's lips pulled into a small smile. She appreciated all her emotions, particularly the wiser ones. She turned around, eyes traveling from her emoticlone's head to her feet. Her smile faltered. "Your cloak is much—"

"Darker? Yes. I'm afraid it's not carrying its vibrant yellow hue as before." She waved her hand in a dismissing manner. "Changes, we experience them frequently. However, I wanted to ensure that you were feeling well. I sensed a bit of frustration stemming from you."

Raven tore her gaze away from her emoticlone's new cloak and found a focal interest in the sky. It was much darker than she remembered. Clouds of red formed among the skyline as an occasional rock floated by. "It's odd." She looked back at her. "I've normally had everything under control. She has been suppressed for months and suddenly, a small incident triggers her. Interestingly enough, it's become frequent. Not Rage's influence, but other mishaps."

"So I have been aware."

Raven's head tilted to the side. "Care to explain when the trees grew leaves? I've always remembered them barren."

Wisdom peered back toward a fully bloomed tree. She swallowed and shook her head. "I..have not noticed."

Raven's gaze lingered on the crimson leaves before she looked away. "It feels like a completely different environment."

"Raven, I—"

"Changes," she drawled in a bored voice. "Interesting."

"Raven, that is what I wish to speak to you about." Wisdom turned to her. "Changes are among us," she whispered.

Raven's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand."

"I wasn't prepared for your sudden return. I assumed I had more time before drawing conclusions. Please, follow me this way." The emoticlone pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and heaved a sigh. "As of late, I've been interpreting certain—mood fluctuations. Spikes, more commonly," she explained, guiding Raven down a twisted path.

Raven stopped walking, pushing Wisdom's hand away from the small of her back. "Mood fluctuations? Regarding whom?"

Wisdom looked around. She lowered her voice, murmuring, "I would prefer we speak about this privately." Her eye caught focus to the tree and then back to Raven. "Such eavesdroppers we've had."

"I agree." The empath steadied her gaze on Wisdom.

Wisdom held out her hand, gesturing to the path. "My realm. Please follow."

With a gentle nod of Raven's head, the two walked in sync down the road. Their two profiles disappearing in the distance.

When they were no longer seen, she emerged from behind the tree. A sly, smirk graced her lips as she stared off in their direction. As her nimble fingers felt around for the edge of her hood, she quickly tugged it above her head.

The pale girl glanced both ways before determining she was alone. Her smirk growing wider, she followed their path. Each step she took was cautious and alert.

Wrapping her arms around her body, she hugged onto her cloak as it turned from black to violet.

. . .

Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut as light from the screen poured over his face. It didn't give off much color on him, for which he was grateful. Thank goodness for the common room being dark. Otherwise, someone would have called him out considering his face was turning an odd shade of navy blue. He wasn't sure how long he could last.

Movie night was a perfect distraction. The team would be too preoccupied with the flick to notice his discomfort. Although, it wasn't as if he were really interested in the movie anyway. He'd never forgive them for making him suffer through a two hour romantic-comedy. Besides, Nightwing would spend a majority of movie time on the opposite sofa giving a breakdown of every joke to Starfire. However, being caught was the least of his worries.

Being seated between Cyborg and Raven didn't help his predicament either. Looking to his right, his larger friend glanced back. A dimmed, red light flashed at him, but Cyborg turned slightly so Beast Boy could get a good look at his human eye. He gave a quizzical expression to the green male that stared back, dumbfounded. With a playful shove, Cyborg smiled and turned his attention back to the screen. He blew a silent sigh of relief. To his left, Beast Boy felt his face drain of color. He made sure to scoot close to Cyborg so that he kept a considerable distance from her—friends or not, he understood space. Peering over to the left a second time, he narrowed his eyes.

She stared ahead. Her eyes were focused on the screen, yet they seemed distant and glazed over. It was as if she weren't even looking at the screen, more so _through_ it. Though her posture and face was in its typical stoic state, it was slightly tensed and on edge. She appeared to be awaiting something. Her lips mouthing words she silently muttered.

Beast Boy nudged her arm with his elbow. She snapped out of it, immediately pulling away from her staring trance with the television and glared at the changeling. He frowned. "Uh, hey Rae, are you alright? Kinda staring off into space there.."

Even Cyborg, hearing his friend's inquiry, shifted to look at her. Raven's eyes switched between Beast Boy and Cyborg. She turned her attention back to the screen, mumbling, "I'm fine."

"You sure? 'Cause you've got that whole loopy—"

"Beast Boy," she cut off, a slight annoyance in her voice. He didn't say a word back, knowing it would be in his best interest to drop it.

If she seen the confused, exchanged glances between Cyborg and Beast Boy, she ignored it. If she had seen the defeated droop of the shapeshifter's ears, she paid no mind to it—no matter how difficult it was to deflect his radiating disappointment.

. . .

"Dude, it's so boring without you guys here!" Beast Boy grumbled, flopping backwards over the sofa. "By the way, thanks for the invite, Cy."

"Hey, don't blame me!" Cyborg defensively held up a hand. "When Dick's on a mission—he's on a _mission_. Had no choice but to take the T-Car."

Beast Boy propped the communicator on his knees and sighed. "How much longer?"

"Until he's done findin' everything on the list. Should be soon and I'll take that, thank you." Cyborg plucked a yellow bottle from Starfire's hands as she passed by him. She slumped and walked away with the cart. He shook it in front of the camera. "Do you see this, B?! Dijon mustard. I highly doubt this'll go well with cereal or anything in the house! She's tryin' to kill me." Beast Boy stuck his tongue out and grimaced. "And you wanted to tag along grocery shopping? Consider your appetite spared!"

"Dude, it's totally worth it. Sparing my boredom? Not so much."

Cyborg shrugged. "Play some games. It'll hold ya over until we get back. You might even get some practice in. Lord knows you need it."

"Sassy." Cyborg smirked. "But no, one-player mode is for loners." Beast Boy scratched his chin. "Plus, I wanna get out the house. Do something."

"What are you waiting for? Grab your keys and go!"

"By myself?" Beast Boy's eyes widened. Cyborg couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Beast Boy leant his head back as well and chuckled. "No way. That's even worse."

Cyborg turned his back to the camera, reaching for a bottle of ketchup on a top shelf. "Well Rae should be there. I think. Drag her along with you," he called.

"Uh, newsflash, Cy. She hates my guts. You seen that creepy look she gave us the other night." The changeling shook his head. "Nope, I like my body parts kept together, thank you very much."

"Man, she doesn't hate your guts," Cyborg warned. He placed his items in the cart and leant against it, staring intently into the camera. "Probably just in a bad mood or something. Look, if you're bored, it won't hurt to ask. She's our friend, B. You probably know that better than anyone else." A crash was heard from behind him, followed by tuna cans rolling down the aisle. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow at the commotion. Cyborg sighed, shaking his head. "Gotta go. See ya in a few. And if the Tower's on fire—"

"Call 911, yes _dear_." Cyborg scowled. "Beast Boy, out." He gave a salute to his cybernetic friend and closed his communicator, letting it fall to the floor. He stared at the ceiling, hands laced across his stomach.

Going outside. Yet, having to invite Raven. It was a considerable option, but one that he was unsure of.

After months of deliberately insisting that he was an ideal friend, he kind of regretted it. Beast Boy was so far indulged in his tattle tale that he almost believed it. In all honesty, he wasn't the ideal best friend. He couldn't ever be the ideal best friend. Best friends didn't have small, newfound non-platonic interests in their friends or masked emotions. Otherwise, it defeated the purpose of a friendship thus proving he was a liar.

A good one at that.

He wasn't sure what burdened him—anticipating for this phase to eventually end or thinking it'd possibly flourish.

Which at this point, would not happen. Beast Boy liked having his head attached to his body. Besides, after the other night, the two had not spoken. He took note that this cold behavior had not impacted the rest of the team—just him. In fact, Raven had distanced herself completely. Almost running away. The green male brushed his observations aside. He thought too much when he was alone anyway.

"Nah."

He peeled himself off the sofa thinking he'd probably have better luck taking Silkie out for a walk. Snatching a leash off the end table, Beast Boy walked toward the common room doors in search of the team's alien pet.

. . .

He wrinkled his nose, pondering where Silkie could be hiding. After circling the Tower for almost an hour, the worm was no where to be found. Odd. "Silkie, if you're down this hallway—um, squeak?"

Not a single response. Figures. Beast Boy sighed and stuffed the leash in his back pocket. It was pointless to continue this goose chase for another thirty minutes. Silkie or not, he'd be going to the park.

Walking down the hallway, he stopped short. Blinking twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming, Beast Boy took several steps back. The door was open. Raven's door. She never left her door open, in which Beast Boy found very peculiar. He swallowed.

In this scenario, he had one of two options: retreat or look inside. Retreat to the safe haven of the common room, where he still had time to go to the park and make it home alive. Or look, and face whatever consequences lie inside. It had to be a test. A trap. Yet, Raven's room was not to be left unattended. Taking a deep breath, he poked his head inside. It was empty.

He glanced both ways, deeming the room unoccupied before moving the rest of his body inside. She had a pretty spacious room, perhaps even bigger than his despite it's dark color scheme. Though the oval bed had a headboard shaped in the form of her cowl, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Typical. To his right, a large treasure chest secured with a gold lock. He ran his hand over the smooth top and jumped back when the contents inside began to make the chest violently shake. To his left, a statue showing off a glass-encased comedy-tragedy mask. He made sure not to stand too close to prevent himself from accidentally knocking it over.

Various rusted candelabras, thick books, and glass bottles levitated in a wavy motion. An unusual sight, but one that did not go unnoticed by Beast Boy. He thought nothing of it, gently pushing aside a book headed in his direction. It floated above his head, and back in place with its collection. His eyes settled on candles placed in a circular position in the middle of the floor. The flames burnt a bright turquoise. Beast Boy's head tilted to the side, finding himself entranced by their unique color. Squinting his eyes, he found that the flames weren't in the shape of a normal flame, but if carefully scrutinized—a skull. Its mouth opened as if it were trying to tell him something. He picked up their whispers and hisses in his ear, but in a language he couldn't understand. Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed. What was it saying? He crept closer to the dimly lit area.

"May I help you?"

The changeling yelped, practically jumping two feet in the air. He looked over his shoulder at the empath that appeared behind him. Her arms were crossed, and her foot impatiently tapped against the carpet. "God, Raven, why do you always do that?!" he screamed, clutching his chest. "It's _so_ creepy!"

Her expression hardened. "What are you doing?"

"Oh! Uh, nothing." His face flushed a dark red, and he bowed his head. He hated being caught. "Just—looking."

"May your attention venture elsewhere." A swift flick of her wrist, and his midsection was squeezed together by a black claw. He didn't get the chance to push against the force as he was flung backwards and into the hallway. He tumbled back, colliding with a soft thud against the wall. The shadowy claw, slid away from his body and slithered back into the dark depths of her room. He stared at the object with wide eyes. Raven shrugged. "Specifically away from my room."

"What's going on in there?" he asked, pointing inside.

"Nothing."

"Oh." He shuddered. She was doing it again. That creepy staring thing. He wasn't sure if she was looking at him or through a peephole to his soul. He hugged his arms, ridding himself of goosebumps and brief internal-violation. "So...how have you been?"

"Good."

He swayed back and forth on his tip toes, hands shoved in his pocket. "It's been a while! Get your hair cut?"

"No."

"Oh. Anything new?"

"No."

"Oh.." Sensing it was the end of their current conversation, Beast Boy walked away. "Well, see ya!"

Between mid-step, he paused, remembering that he forgot to ask her. Opening his mouth, Beast Boy thought against it. He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. Another time.

"Are you sure?"

He turned around.

Raven's hands clasped around the door. She looked up at him and gave a slight frown. "That you are alright? I don't...I don't mean to pry, but your emotions are expressing conflict." He raised a surprised eyebrow. She quickly backtracked her remark, diverting her attention to the floor. "I'm probably not the best team mediator, as that's typically Cyborg's forte. But if you are uncertain about something, I suppose you are—" She paused, fingers drumming against the door in contemplation. "I suppose you are—welcome to share anytime."

Beast Boy's expression brightened causing Raven to scowl. "Under _certain_ circumstances, Beast Boy. I don't do two in the morning confessionals."

He smiled, beginning to walk away. "Thanks, Rae. I'll keep it in mind and—I'll remember to stay out your room."

She nodded, slowly closing her door shut. Beast Boy looked down at his feet. There really wasn't anything left for him to do in the Tower by himself. He definitely wasn't planning on finding Silkie again. However, he couldn't bring himself to wallow in boredom alone. "Actually yeah, I guess—"

Raven's hands pushed the door open. She slightly stuck her head out. "Pardon?"

"Something. Sorta. I dunno. It's kinda stupid. Not really—not really a problem. Just a question."

She quirked an eyebrow.

Beast Boy mumbled to himself, weighing his options, then looked up at her. "Actually, nevermind! See ya later, Rae!"

He walked away and found himself stopping. Beast Boy turned around, squeezing his eyes shut. He cupped the back of his neck with his hand and exhaled. "Wanna hang out sometime? The Tower can be a total drab and—yeah."

She stared at him.

"Or not." Beast Boy blanched. Well, that felt pretty stupid. He shook his head. "Uh..you know, never mind! I'm..I'm gonna go now, yeah." Mentally slapping himself, he started to wonder why he didn't go to the park sooner, thus avoiding his current embarrassment. Halfway through the hallway's exiting door, he froze.

"Okay."

His head whipped around. "Okay?" he asked. Raven shrugged indifferently, placing a lock of hair behind her ear.

Beast Boy grinned. "Okay. Okay cool. Okay..yeah. Yeah, dude. Okay." He backed away as she closed her door. He turned around, mouthing a 'Sweet' as the hallway doors shut behind him.

The grin on his face grew larger. He'd definitely hold her to that agreement.

. . .

Raven gripped her head tighter. Her fingers snaked their way to the side of her head and she gently massaged her temples. A burning sensation expanded on her skin, she winced. Her head was throbbing unbearably in which she couldn't stand straight. With wobbling knees, she approached her vanity. The silver object was face-down on the counter, a white glow emitting from underneath.

Raven quickly snatched the handle, avoiding to stare into its bright glow, and shoved her mirror underneath a bundle of socks in the top drawer. She clenched her teeth tighter and hugged her arms. Who said _his_ sudden wave of mood fluctuations were such a bad thing, anyways?

Her head shot upwards as a beaker on her shelf rumbled, then shattered. Specks of glass scattered onto her floor causing the pink liquid inside to stain her carpet. She gently waved her left hand, conjuring a cloud of black energy to levitate the broken pieces. With a circular gesture of her right hand, the glass pieces swirled in the air and put itself back together in its beaker form. She walked over to the levitating item and cradled it in her palms. Raven sighed, gently pushing it back on the shelf.

She could handle it—she hoped.

* * *

He stared at the light ahead. It had been flickering between red and green for the past thirty minutes. He wasn't sure why, but staring wasn't usually his habit. Beast Boy scoffed, fingers stabbing into the steering wheel. He probably unintentionally picked it up from her. Somewhat fitting as she always had that creepy way of staring at things. He wasn't sure if it was just a habitual thing of hers or if there was something he was missing that she seen beyond the naked eye. He liked to try it. Staring. She usually looked away, though.

Red.

Beast Boy leaned over the dashboard, his head slowly tilted to the right. It'd stay that color for another four minutes. Between that time, cars would turn right—some would move forward. An occasional pedestrian would pass by with an umbrella. He'd silently chuckle at the ones whose uncooperative umbrellas would fly down the street—leaving them to unfortunately chase after it. It reminded him of the time he searched the Tower for an hour looking for Silkie. His thoughts were snatched away when a car honked at him.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes through the rear view mirror, inspecting the twelve car traffic behind him. He growled, speeding through the intersection once the light turned green. Having to see through his windshield as rain beat against the glass was difficult—especially through this heavy storm. It seemed he wouldn't be getting very far anytime soon. Not one to drive in extreme weather, he swiftly turned the wheel and parallel parked on an empty street. Beast Boy pulled the keys out the ignition and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.

He should have listened to them. He could have waited another day. Perhaps until the rain cleared up. He could have stayed.

He could have gone to the park that day, without Silkie and definitely without walking through the Tower—coincidentally leading to her room.

The sound of rain pattering against the car was soothing. It drowned out a majority of thoughts prodding the young man's mind. Beast Boy loosened his grip on the steering wheel and positioned himself upright. He glanced up, recognizing the street signs through the window as raindrops slid down the glass. Main and 5th. He wasn't too far from the downtown area.

Leaning over his seat, he felt underneath the chair for an umbrella, but found none. He groaned. Cyborg fixed up the entire car with new stereo systems, cup holders, and even a _hairdryer_. But not a single umbrella? Beast Boy groaned again, pulling the hood of his black jacket up on his head. Shoving car keys in his pocket, he opened the door, locked his car, and began to walk.

His steps down the street were slow and his strides were long. He made sure to keep his head low to prevent any rain from falling in his face. In all honesty, he had no idea why he was walking in the first place. This wasn't part of his departure itinerary. But Beast Boy couldn't help it. Perhaps it was walking in the rain that always seemed to clear his mind or walking the familiar downtown streets for a final time. He just needed air.

Inhaling through his nose, he stopped, feeling his body softly brush against another. He lifted his head, eyes traveling up the figure. A shoulder. A green jacket. A man. No, a boy. Teenager, whatever. He sighed.

"Sorry, dude. I swear this is like the second time that's happened today," the boy quipped. Beast Boy remained in place, eyes blankly staring back at him. "Um, have a good day."

The boy shrugged upon realizing he'd receive no acknowledgement from the stranger and continued to walk. He quickly passed by Beast Boy, a small gust of wind picking up behind him.

Beast Boy's gaze dropped to the pavement. He started to walk as well when he felt every part of his body freeze. That's when he caught it. The scent. Lavender, a hint of jasmine. Intoxicating, feminine, yet familiar. Lifting his nose in the air, Beast Boy's nostrils flared as he inhaled. Again. It lingered. He couldn't miss it even if his life depended on it. The same scent that drove every sense inside of him insane, yet brought such a comfort to him.

It was near. It was strong. He needed to follow it. Beast Boy's head whipped around, spotting the figure walking away. He quickly turned around to jog down the street, snatching the boy by his arm.

"Hey—"

"Where is she?" he demanded. Beast Boy scowled.

"Look, dude. If it's money you want, I'm broke!"

"Where..is she?" Beast Boy repeated, fangs bared as his lips pulled back.

The boy held up his hands in surrender. "I..I don't know what you're talking about! Who?!"

"Dark hair, dark clothes." He tightened his grip around the boy's jacket, lifting him closer to his nose. There it was. Her scent on his clothing. It didn't make sense. His brows furrowed. Beast Boy sniffed again. It was strong. It was recent. He narrowed his eyes at the boy, a guttural growl emitting from his throat. The boy shuddered. "Raven. Titans. Have you seen her?" Receiving a squeak as a response, Beast Boy shook the citizen's shoulders impatiently as his hood slid off his head. The boy's eyes widened.

"Whoa, dude, you're Beas—"

"Where?" Beast Boy asked, cutting him off. The changeling was frantically asking the shaking boy, wild-eyed and disheveled. "_Where_!"

He closed his eyes, thinking back to his last encounter with the empath. "I..I don't know! Down the street. I wasn't paying attention and—" The boy opened his eyes, glancing around.

Beast Boy was gone. He looked down at the claw marks poked through his jacket's arm and sighed.

He really needed to stop running into superheroes on rainy days.

. . .

Beast Boy sprinted down the street, attempting to track her scent. It was becoming a game of hot and cold for the changeling. The more he ran, the more he lost the scent. Yet, whenever he stopped, there it was again—wafting in the air. He was so close, to end up too far. The heavy downpour of rain didn't help his situation either, considering it'd cleanse the sidewalk of scents and replace the air with a fresh, earthy aroma.

Crossing the street, he growled and ran his fingers through his damp hair. It was frustrating finding something in which he wasn't sure if he was even searching in the right direction for. It was even more frustrating having water drench his entire clothing, which he was sure would earn him a nasty cold. But he couldn't get the exhilarating scent from out of his mind. He stopped running, leaning his head against a light pole. It had to be near. Yet, he contemplated chasing after it. Beast Boy clutched his hair. This was the point—leaving, not chasing. It wasn't apart of the plan. Every time he was close to forgetting about everything, he always ended up side-tracked and—

Beast Boy's nose twitched. The scent. It was extremely close this time. He looked down the street. Empty, but she had to be close. Had to.

Because if it was meant to happen, it would. If he was meant to tell her, he'd take that chance. If they were bound to see one another a final time, then he'd gladly take the opportunity. No doubts, no regrets, no confusion—just now. This irrational form of thinking clouded his judgment, as Beast Boy allowed it to. This had to be it. A sign. A second chance. Serendipity. _Something_.

Beast Boy's feet slowly trudged against the concrete, his pace starting to quicken with each step. He fought against his urge to run, until he picked up the sound of feet nearby splashing through puddles. Every part of his body pricked with adrenaline, excitement, and fear. The changeling ran faster, ignoring the cold whips of rain slashing against his face or chill shivering up his spine. In that moment, every animalistic urge took over. He didn't understand why his legs gained such momentum, causing him to whiz in a green blur past pedestrians on the opposite street. He didn't know why he couldn't think straight. Fists clenched tightly, small trails of blood dropped from his palms. He couldn't ignore the sound of his heart rapidly beating against his chest, or her scent tormenting his mind, or why he had to find it.

His shaky hands slicked back his drenched hair and he shook away the excess water. It would not have been of much help considering the rain was relentlessly pouring, but he didn't care. The growl clawing its way up his throat fought to be released. As he ran, feet sloshing through puddles and pockets of water on the pavement, he found himself screaming, "Raven!" over the roll of thunder.

* * *

- I HAD TO. Did anyone enjoy the TT Go! episode "Matched"? I think there was "Colors of Raven" too. Thoughts? Anyways, it's been a while. As always...thank you for your patience and I hope you leave a review! :)

Guest - Thank you. I'm glad it's one of your favorites.

Bb's Rae - Surviving until an update can be tough. I see your dilemma. Hmm. You're welcome for the fluff though. :)

Kaarlinaa - We're getting close to knowing exactly why. Don't worry. It's coming. Thank you so much!

lunar silver - Good guess! But...maybe, maybe not. :)

Guest - Wow. Such wonderful praise. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much. I try.

Dewittypinkerton - Great. I think this review stood out to me the most. With much sincerity, I say thank you. I'm typically afraid to touch dialogue but I'm learning to get more into it. Can't have a story without talking! Thank you. :)

Guest - "OMG ARE THEY GONNA GET TOGETHER..OR WHAT." Haha. I'm gonna go with... asdfghhjkkiyeafgwaliteqahmfs; it's a mess. You know? Yeah.


	5. Gravity

A faint sound of sizzles hummed throughout the common room. Her expression briefly softened, observing Cyborg from underneath her hood. Though his back faced her, she seen him flip over a frying pan; thus tossing bacon in the air. She usually despised the scent of raw meat, but found herself indulging in its hickory-smoked aroma. It'd be a lie to say she didn't anticipate breakfast as everyone else, albeit not as expressive in her admission. He whistled a hymn lowly, careful not to awake his slumbering friend.

Her eyes trailed over to the Tamaranean cuddled in a fetal position on the sofa. She had been resting the entire morning, after completing an exhausting patrol the previous night. Her tanned arms hugged around a sleeping Silkie. The two breathed in unison, occasionally letting out a gentle purr when exhaling. Raven couldn't fight the small smirk gracing her lips. She sighed contently, leaning the back of her head against the window.

It was mornings like this she cherished the most. A warm wave of contented emotions in the room allowed her to peacefully read and relax. The team certainly deserved it after the hard work they had put in lately. Though a string of planned attacks terrorized the city at night, it felt comforting to put aside such grim experiences and enjoy a silent morning together. She wasn't sure if it was fear or determination to put an end to these randomized disasters that suddenly compelled each Titan to grow closer. The Titans wanted nothing more but to surround themselves in one another's presence. A team that fought together, stuck together. Normally, she seethed at the thought of anyone invading her personal space, but the reality of losing any of them was unimaginable.

Curled against the windowsill, she folded her legs, and buried deeper into the warmth of her cloak. Engulfed in such comfortable surrounding emotions and low energy mellowed the empath out. Raven never participated in lazing around like her teammates since she usually kept alert. But for once—all intellectual activity began to dissipate. Her eyelids grew heavy, and with a silent yawn, she found herself drowsily slipping into a quiet nap.

The book in her hand began to slide from her fingertips. Raven's eyes suddenly fluttered open upon hearing her book drop. She quickly dove to retrieve it, shuffling through pages to find the correct place. Looking up, she blew a sigh of relief.

Cyborg still had his back turned. He hadn't seen. Good.

Crawling back to her secluded corner, she sighed and pressed her forehead against the glass. It would be another eight hours before her next patrol shift. She needed all the rest she could get, especially with the red rings brimming around her eyes. At least the weather would be bearable. Smooth waves curled and gently lapped over rocks. A silky foam would brush against the island's sandy shore and retract back into the bay. Few clouds blanketed the sky, but nevertheless a quiet day for Jump City. It would be simple. Her eyes gazed at the long stretch of bay.

She wondered which part of the city she'd patrol first. The pier would be a great place. However, the few that ventured into that particular area typically weren't involved in any suspicious activity. A couple of sightseers, fishermen, kayakers, but nothing out of the norm. It'd be a waste, even though the secluded area settled her nerve-wracked emotions. There was also the downtown portion of Jump City, in which she despised. The sidewalks were always full of tourists or citizens. All full of various emotions, all very dizzying for the empath that required focus in order to spot anything out of the ordinary. It was a smart move, she'd admit, for any villain. Disguised between the bustle of crowds and cars, the downtown area was a main target for attacks—and an easy escape.

Her face twisted into a scowl and she tore her gaze from the window. Someone was near. Though faint, their presence surged with something undefinable. It was rough and sharp, and she felt each tug pull at her core. This unknown feeling—made her somewhat angry. She turned to Cyborg. He was still cooking. Actually, he was completely unaware that she was staring at him. Her eyebrows pulled together. It couldn't have been him then. Glancing at Starfire, the Tamaranean princess was still sleeping. Raven slowly closed her eyes, trying to reach into the girl's inner self. Though she hated prying into other's emotions, the demoness couldn't help but grow curious as to what could internally affect her teammates. At times, she felt guilty committing such an action. Maybe, it was violating them; but she couldn't ignore her own emotional turmoil as this presence made her uncomfortable. Her mental hold on Starfire fell useless as she retracted her thoughts. She watched the Tamaranean woman's chest deflate, exhaling slowly, as Raven pulled her emotional connection away. It wasn't her. Starfire was oddly—content. Raven rolled her eyes, she definitely wasn't delving into Silkie's thoughts next.

"You alright?" Cyborg called to her, gently placing his plate of stacked bacon on the table.

"I'm sensing—anger." Cyborg quirked an eyebrow. Raven shrugged noncommittally, though her body still on edge. "Don't ask. I don't understand, either."

The common room doors opened with a hiss causing them to peer over. Nightwing stormed through, rolled up papers crumpled between his balled fists. Raven reclined further back in her sitting position, quietly setting her book beside her. So it was him. The two teammates settled their eyes on the infuriated leader as he stood in place. His shoulders heaved up and down as he huffed.

Nightwing's attention fell onto a slumbering Starfire, then Cyborg. Alas, he diverted his anger toward Raven. She forced herself to clutch the ends of her cloak, holding on for support as she could feel his fury surging through her body. It was like needles poking through her spine and she could feel a slight heat boiling through her veins. Nightwing periodically switched his focus between the two.

"Where is Beast Boy?" he hissed. Cyborg nervously looked at Raven then back to Nightwing. She hunched her shoulders, partially annoyed by his cold behavior. It also had to do with his lack of consideration. Afterall, she could sense his frustration. The cybernetic Titan waved his hands in a calming matter.

"Well, he and Star went out patrolling late last night. Probably still asleep," he suggested, backing out of the kitchen. Nightwing frowned, taking a step back toward the door.

"Uh. On second thought..lemme go get him for you." Cyborg swiftly brushed past Nightwing.

The angered man nodded his head, disgust still present on his face. As Cyborg left, he pointed at Raven.

"Emergency team meeting," he grit through clenched teeth. "_Now_."

. . .

A green, feline sluggishly pranced toward its three, seated teammates in the common room. With a graceful hop, the cat circled the padded cushions before stretching. Satisfied with loosening the crooks in its body, the cat slowly morphed into a disheveled man. Beast Boy rubbed his eyes. "Dude. Not cool. You woke me up, out of my beauty sleep may I add, for a—"

"Sit," Nightwing instructed. Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at him, grumbling under his breath. His brash tone was completely uncalled for, according to the awakened changeling. Nightwing sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. He paced the floor in front of his team, eyebrows furrowing. "Starfire, I need an update on the patrol last night."

Starfire tapped her chin, eyes rolling back as she thought. "Well if I recall, I believe it went well. Would you agree, friend?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "Two muggers on Broadway." A sly grin spread across his face. "Wasn't anything a few claws and starbolts couldn't handle."

Nightwing halted. "Please tell me you handled it accordingly."

"Duh. Turned 'em in to JCPD, filed a report, the whole shebang." Beast Boy folded his arms across his chest. "Wait. They didn't let you know? That's a first."

"It's complicated," he explained. "I was—preoccupied."

"Look. As much as we all enjoy these hour long meetings." Nightwing rolled his eyes at Cyborg's sarcastic comment. "I've got bacon callin' my name. So, what's with the emergency?"

"It's a bit disturbing. Don't say I didn't warn you," Nightwing huffed. "Take a look."

Beast Boy followed his leader's pointed finger with his eyes and picked up the manila folder laid before them. He tossed Nightwing a confused look. The standing man's cold behavior didn't cease as he continued to pace the floor. Exchanging glances with Cyborg and Starfire, Beast Boy flipped open the cover. Scanning over the information, he immediately dropped the dossier, covering his mouth to prevent stifling a scream.

Inside, lay a collection of photographs. It had displayed two lifeless, slashed bodies lain in grass. Their skin tinted a pale, green color as it was shrunken in—alongside their glazed eyes. The flesh had a waxy texture, trails of thin cuts adorning their body. Both mouths had been pried open and flecks of dry blood coated their lips. The brutally mangled corpses were arranged in a straight line. Their drained, motionless frames lay in a pool of blood. Beast Boy identified the two victims as male and female. From the deep gash located on the back of the male's skull, he figured the man had been hit pretty hard. "Oh my gosh.."

Starfire and Cyborg gasped, covering their hands over their mouths. Raven gave the photograph a good look, before quickly turning her head. Beast Boy scratched his head, unable to comprehend the information before him. "Dick, we had no idea. Star and I checked the park twice last night! I would've picked up on the noise!"

"It is true," Starfire muffled through her clamped hand. She nodded her head reassuringly, attempting to erase the image of the deceased from her mind. Her body began to shake as she closed her eyes, preventing them from welling. Cyborg patted the distraught Tamaranean on her back.

"No," Beast Boy whispered, his voice trailing off. "It was clear! We were positive that no one was there. We would've _seen_ them."

"By X'hal.."

Cyborg pinched the bridge of his nose. "Man, I think I'm gonna be sick.."

"I know," Nightwing sighed. "You guys were already returning back from patrol before I got the memo this morning."

Cyborg leant forward and snatched a few printed documents from inside the folder. He huffed, drumming his fingers alongside the paper. "Two individuals found dead in a park around two. All sliced up. How did they even find this?!"

Nightwing hunched his shoulders. "I'm not sure, quite honestly. Everything is still under investigation."

Cyborg tossed the papers aside to Starfire as she gave them a second look. "This just doesn't make sense! Somethin' just feels off about this whole thing—and I'm not talkin' about these nasty photos either."

"Call it far-fetched, but—" Nightwing stopped pacing and faced his team. He paused, unclamping his hands behind his back to rub the nape of his neck. "Guys, I can't help but feel that Slade is behind this."

"He doesn't kill," Raven quickly pointed out. All four pairs of eyes fell on the empath. She shook her head, ignoring the waves of confusion emanating from them. Raven frowned, gazing up at Nightwing. "Test us? Yes. Kill a random man and woman? It's not his style. We would've have some connection to them. He wouldn't leave them out in the open either."

"I must agree with friend Raven in this matter." Raven stared at the alien princess as Starfire slowly shuffled through the stack of documents. "He—could have possibly wanted us to watch. It would be much more disturbing, correct?"

Nightwing pursed his lips, turning his attention to Raven. "How are you so sure? He hasn't killed before, but it's not to say he wouldn't do it at all."

She shrugged. "Maybe it was not in his intention. The cuts are too precise. Planned. Maybe a warning sign?"

"Well we heard it loud and clear," Cyborg mumbled. He retrieved the folder from Starfire and placed it back on the table. "I hate seeing these."

"Perhaps he had the outside help?" Starfire suggested.

"Or maybe he's just a sick dude," Beast Boy growled, a slight shakiness in his tone. "Who does that? Who does that!"

"This isn't the first time, B," Cyborg mumbled. "This stuff's been happening for a while. That's why we're doin' these crazy patrols. There's some whacky folks out there."

Beast Boy shook his head, angrily balling his fists. "Cy, look at this—they're dead, dude. _Dead_! That's a different story."

"It is very—unfortunate." Starfire sunk lower in her seat. "I wish there was more that we all could do. I understand that as of late, we have been—" She looked to her friends for assistance.

"Swamped," Cyborg finished. "Whether it's an amateur mugger or someone tryin' to blow up the bank. We've all been busting our chops lately! But this," He tilted his head toward the folder. "People killin' innocent people. This draws the line. This needs to stop."

"Totally with you, Cy." Beast Boy pounded his fist in his hand. "I'm ready for some hardcore action."

"Don't get hasty," Raven lectured, glaring at her two frustrated male teammates. "We still aren't sure who is behind this, and whether we're capable of having this situation in our hands. Blood is spilt, we certainly don't need any more."

"Which brings us to a solution." Nightwing stopped pacing, firmly planting his feet in the ground. He stared down each member of his team. "Tonight, we tighten up on patrols. It needs to be doubled. We're starting with Beast Boy's shift."

. . .

Raven drew in a deep breath, gracefully allowing her fingers to curl over. Her body had levitated a few feet above the ground, legs crossed over. With closed eyes and deep in a meditative trance, she began to chant—falling deeper into a focus within her mind. She definitely needed it; considering the heavy burden of feeling everyone's concerns gnawed at her. She was aware—they were afraid.

She had seen worse. Seen visions of death, and her own hands being the ones that commit the action. She seen fear, she sensed fear, and she was afraid herself. But even then, she knew that in dark, there had to be some light. Her small amount of hope would be all she could hang on to. This was another setback, the team dealt with hardships. She had four more hours until Beast Boy returned from his night shift, thus beginning her own patrol. It was then that she feared the unknown. If something as cynical as a murder could happen to innocent people, what could that person possibly plan for them? The team?

One eye opened as a beeping sound interrupted her meditation session. She placed both feet on the ground, glancing around to find the source of the noise. Alas, her eyes settled on a communicator set on top of the table. Nightwing's. With a groan, she snatched the circular device and opened the lid. A bright screen lit up, displaying a green face. The changeling had been surrounded by a brick wall, holding his own communicator up in the air to get a signal.

"Beast Boy to Nightwing and—whoa you aren't him," he cut off mid-sentence. Though he couldn't break his surprised and confused expression, he kept speaking. "Beast Boy to—Raven, apparently."

Of all the times she had to answer the communicator, of all the times she was interrupted from a pleasant time—he had to be the main cause of the disturbances. Raven rolled her eyes. Fantastic.

"I copy," she answered. "What do you need, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy furrowed his eyebrows, pointing at the screen. "Hey. Whatcha doing with Dick's communicator?"

"He left it in the common room. I was unaware of this." She waved her hand with dismissal. "Now, may I help you?"

"Dude, he left it?! What a dork." The changeling began to chuckle, holding his midsection with his free hand. Raven sighed, squeezing her eyes shut at his high-pitched cackles. He moved from a brick wall to a second location. The young shapeshifter was perched atop a ledge, the night sky behind him. "Oh, oh that's sweet! Now you can snoop through his stuff. I bet ya he has like a bajillion photos of Star—"

"I'm sure you're not calling to gossip. If you were on the line with Dick, I'm positive this conversation would be nonexistent." She narrowed her eyes. "Is there an actual emergency or is this phone call pointless?"

He opened his mouth to retort back, but immediately shut it. Beast Boy slunk against the wall. "No, it's not. I was just expecting Nightwing, kinda." Her neutral look remained unchanging and he wasn't sure if she was listening or staring again. He shrugged. Most likely neither. "Well, if you see him—uh, let him know I've been alright. Downtown seems all clear, and I'll probably hit up the park later—"

"Don't," she quickly cut off. He raised an eyebrow as Raven shook her head. "Don't. That area is still under investigation and it wouldn't be in your best interest to go alone. Stick to your assigned sections."

"Uh, alright?" He was confused about her immediate outburst, but thought against pressing it. He nodded. "Cool, okay. Well then—scratch that."

"Good." Her fingers traced the lid of the hood. She began to press down, slowly closing it. "Raven to Beast Boy, out—"

"Wait!" He cleared his throat. She pushed it back up, scowling at him. "What's everyone doing?"

"I am unsure of Cyborg's whereabouts, Nightwing is in the evidence room, Starfire should be resting. Now goodbye—"

"What about you?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. "Whatcha doing?"

She hunched her shoulders. "Ending this conversation."

"Oh." His ears drooped, but she made no known knowledge of it. He quickly brightened up, giving a large grin. "Is it cold in the Tower?"

"No."

He smirked. "You sure?"

"Positive," she sighed.

"I think you're lying, Raven. It's cold."

"It's not," she hissed, bored with his current stalling.

Beast Boy playfully tapped his chin. "Dude, it's kinda cold out here. Like you might need a sweater next shift—"

"What do you want, Gar?" she snapped, gently massaging her temples.

"Nothing. Just talking! Shooting the breeze."

"The team certainly doesn't have time for that. Nor do I. Finish your shift," she instructed, slowly closing the lid.

"You don't wanna talk?" he pleaded. Raven paused.

"Not to you."

"Well that sucks! Boy, it's boring out here. No one cool walks at night—"

"Beast Boy." He stopped talking, gaze dropped down to his fingers. She knitted her brows together. "I certainly don't have time for incessant chatter. Raven to Beast Boy, out."

"Don't leave," he quickly blurted. She reopened the lid, glaring back at the changeling. His voice was low, almost childlike. Though his tone was fearful, pleading for company. Raven found herself oddly curious. What could he possibly fear? "Those pictures, earlier." Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head. "Those pictures, they remind me so much of—"

"Death," she whispered.

He cringed. "Yeah. I dunno. Freaked me out. I mean, what if that happens to us? Out here? On patrol? You know. Someone chops us up or something. I never really thought about it before. Being a superhero, guess you don't think about those things."

"Or dominating the world when your father from hell returns," she added in a monotone.

"Good one." Beast Boy gave a humorless chuckle, running his fingers through his hair.

She tilted her head, looking him up and down through the screen. "Are you afraid? Of death?"

"Sounds kinda stupid. But—I don't wanna die. Not like this, you know, trying to save others. So yeah, it sounds kinda dumb but...I'm scared."

Her mouth parted, but she quietly closed it, unable to find a proper reply. "I'm really scared, Rae. I don't wanna do this alone, and I don't wanna see anyone else die alone."

Beast Boy heaved a sigh. "I'm an annoying dude, you're busy, everyone's busy and they don't have time. I get it. But please—_please_, this once, don't leave me out here by myself. Don't let me be afraid of dying out here by myself, Rae."

Raven watched as he stared out into town. She figured he had been on alert, watching for danger in the streets on a roof. He continued,"You guys—you guys are the only family I have left. So _please_, just this once..don't leave me alone." He frowned, gaze still intent on his fingers.

"Favorite color?"

"Huh?" He looked up at the screen. She had her head low, he probably figured, staring at the floor. She didn't meet his gaze not address any previous topics. A simple inquiry.

Raven glanced up, repeating, "Favorite color?"

A smile spread across his face. "Easy. Green."

. . .

A beam of warm light poured across her face. The slumbering girl's eyes squeezed tighter as the light relentlessly beat against her face. As soon as light arrived, it faded, leaving the room pitch black. She heard the swish of metal doors and quiet footsteps shuffling against the carpet. Raven's eyes snapped open as she shot straight up. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked, getting adjusted to the dark. Her hand felt around as she took in her surroundings. She had fallen asleep on the sofa—in the common room. Her finger pressed against a smooth object and she quickly flinched. Looking down, she recognized it as Nightwing's communicator. The screen had been blank. She figured its battery died. Closing the lid, she picked it up and attached it to her belt. He was probably worried sick considering how long he had been missing an important item. She sat back, wondering how long she had stayed up talking.

Alas, her thoughts were pulled away as she caught a dark figure moving from the corner of her eye. Raven looked over her shoulder and frowned. "What are you doing?" she called.

The figure froze, standing in place to hope that she'd go back to sleep. When the stare down lasted a good ten minutes, the dark figure gave in. It sighed and turned around. "Just got back," Beast Boy responded, pointing to the door. He stifled a yawn and leant against the wall. "Star's up."

"What do you mean Starfire's up?"

"It's her shift," he stated matter-of-factly. "She just left."

"No, I was next. Right after yours." She held a palm to her forehead, thinking back at the schedule. She scowled. "What time is it?"

"Uh, I dunno." He stumbled back as he continued sluggishly walking toward the exit. "Probably a quarter after three."

Raven groaned and quickly stood up. The first night of double patrols and she overslept. She could imagine the hour long lecture received from Nightwing. The empath couldn't help but scoff at the irony. Being late wasn't her forte, nor was receiving a lecture. "I'm late—"

"Eh, don't worry," Beast Boy yawned again, waving his hand to stop her. "I already took it."

Her eyes widened. "You took _my_ patrol shift?"

He stopped at the door, shrugging his shoulders. "Eh, just consider it a favor. I'm about to hit the hay." Beast Boy pressed a button, opening the sliding doors. He stepped through and paused. Looking over his shoulder, he replied, "And thanks. You know, for staying up and not leaving—me. You're pretty cool, Rae." With a knowing tilt of his head, he walked down the hallway, allowing the doors to close behind him.

Perhaps it was sleepiness, confusion, or gratefulness. With hands hugging around her arms, Raven stared at the closed door—standing alone in the dark.

She dreamt in color that night. Her favorite colors. Particularly soft hues of green.

* * *

Each breath felt like a heavy weight tugging at her chest. It was becoming a burden to breathe.

Maybe gravity enjoyed bringing her down.

She held out her hands, letting rain slide against her skin. A miniature puddle of water formed on top of the dip of her open palm. She balled her fists, attempting to capture the water. The cool liquid slid through her fingertips, leaving an empty hand. It seemed as though even when she tried to grasp onto something, it was impossible. The touch of cold water was soothing.

She lowered her hood, exposing her face to the open air and rain. Droplets of rain created thin trails snaking down her forehead and lips. She watched carefully as a raindrop slid down the bridge of her nose and dripped, falling into the mass amounts of other droplets creating a puddle on the pavement. She never understood rain. Scientifically speaking, she was aware that it was precipitation in a liquid form. But an imaginative part of her always found it as thick clouds crying. Drowning the world in their sorrows until the promise of a new day. Rain cleansed the environment of negative energy. A fresh new start. Though, she always enjoyed watching it.

A spot of water drenched her entire back. Not even her cloak could conceal her from getting soaked. Her hair had been wet and desperately clung to her skin. She felt locks of her own hair stick to the nape of her neck. Collected water dripped down from the ends of her hair and seeped through her clothing. Her nimble fingers combed through violet locks, slicking it back and away from her face.

She blew out a huff of air, watching in amazement the cloud of white smoke form when she parted her lips. Temperatures must have dropped. Raven didn't care, stomping her foot through a deep puddle. Her boots had been filled with water and she was sure her skin would have wrinkled when she returned back to the Tower. She crossed the street, spreading her arms wide. Her posture mimicked a bird taking flight.

She glanced up as the rain poured harder from the sky. Shutting her eyes, she allowed relentless drops of rain to splash across her face. She basked in its cool touch against her skin. Sucking in a deep breath, she felt a distant rumble course through her chest. Her eyes opened, scanning each gray cloud. A flash of bright light and she arced an eyebrow. The air around her was thick, almost charged. Trees bent over as they were toppled by heavy winds. A distant clap of thunder crackled through the sky like a whip. She shut her eyes again, marveling in its loud rumble and power surging through her veins. She felt infinite.

A second flash of lightning lit up the sky. She was aware of the rain pouring harder and dangers she faced standing in such a heavy storm. But she couldn't help but feel her knees wobble after every thunderclap. A third roll of thunder roared louder, much more deafening than before. Her eyes widened.

It screamed for her.

It roared for her name—loudly. She heard it. She had to, unless her ears deceived her.

Glancing around, the sidewalks were empty. Raven thought nothing of it, perhaps it was unconscious. It wasn't possible for thunder to call out for her. As she walked, she felt her body forcefully pull back. Raven dropped to her knees on the sidewalk, bowing her head. It was strong. She could feel it. A sporadic burst of energy spreading through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to locate a direction from which it was coming from. Due to the weather extremities and rain blocking emotional signals, she couldn't get a good detection. But she knew it was moving.

At times, the energy felt far and distant. At times, it grew closer. It was tugging her in every different direction. She felt like screaming every time it approached her. A hot heat pricked and spread across her skin. It began from her lower back and slithered its way to her neck and forehead. Her chakra gem began to glow. She pressed her finger against the crimson stone as a wave of heavy energy rumbled through her body. It was difficult to detect. It made her body sink and her head to ache. She felt them screaming, but could not drown out their words or the claps of thunder. Her mind felt like splitting in two and with shaky fingers, she massaged her temples. Raven mumbled her mantra, desperately attempting to soothe her aching body. Another burst of hot energy lashed at her skin and she clenched her teeth together. It wasn't energy. It was a presence. Familiar, warm, and untamed. She felt it boil inside of her, growing warmer and uncontrollable. Raven's body shook, she felt her skin rippling. But as soon as it grew closer, the feeling vanished and diverted its attention to a different direction. Her head snapped up.

"Gar."

Pressing her hand against the pavement, she pushed up. Her legs were shaking and her body was unstable. She began to move slow, eventually breaking out into a weak sprint. Her lips parted as she called again. Over the roar of thunder, she called louder. He was there. He was moving. She furrowed her eyebrows, shouting louder. Her legs felt like lead, burdening her with a slow sprint. She reached out her hand, conjuring a black disc. As soon as it appeared, it crackled and dissipated. She wasn't strong enough.

Standing in the middle of the street, she glanced around. She was alone. In fact, she wasn't even aware of the area she was in. Then it came again. A strong wave of his presence. It was distant, but it wasn't very far. She whipped her head around to the left. Her eyes narrowed. Main and 5th.

The sound of her feet splashing against puddles drowned out the sound of rain, the sound of their screaming, the sound of her own heavy breathing. Over a fifth roll of thunder, she called out to him again. And again. Each plead growing more desperate and more raspy. She raised her voice, competing with a loud thunderclap. The empath stopped dead in her tracks.

She received a faint reply.

* * *

"Gravity" by John Mayer has been stuck in my head for the past few days. Such a lovely song. It really helped inspire me to finish writing this. Thank you all so much for the love, reading, and even reviewing. It's very overwhelming and I appreciate it so much.

Suze - Thank you so much. I am so glad that you like it!

Kaarlinaa - So now we now where Beast Boy is! The guy is just a regular guy, haha. No one special. As for season six. You know, I don't know if that's true or not. *unpopular opinion time: I'd REALLY like a season six. But I think I'd want to start the series over so that we can actually get and build up to a season six. Not really pick up where we left off because some people might not have watched the other seasons and would be confused. It's been a while since TT went off the air, I think it should be fresh and new if they do decide to do a season six or a reboot. Idk. That's just me. I really loved the show though. :)

PennamePersona - I think I'm killing myself too lol. It's so crazy right now..it does need more info. I agree!

Moreorlessanonymous - Thank you so much. I like BBRae as both friendship and relationship. It's a pretty special bond. :)

Extromous - Where do I even begin?! First off, thank you so much. Secondly, yes they are older. As for specific ages, I'll leave it up to the reader's imagination. But definitely older than 17. Thank you so much for your feedback and everything. I appreciate it. Wow. :) Oh if only we could get to the bottom. My heart races when I write intense scenes too. It's kinda weird, but I figure if I'm gonna feel some emotion with it, I kinda want you guys to feel it too.

V - If only I knew where I was going with this. Haha. I dunno..happy endings are kind of overrated, don't you think? :)

noaverageangel - I can't wait for you to read more! Yay.

Lavender - Thank you!

charmedprincess101 - Aw, thank you. I don't know! Whatever happened between them, it's coming ...and it's not very pretty.

Guest - Thank you!

hank the tank - If you wanted to marry this story, I'd...oddly...let you. Haha. :) You have my blessing.

BB's Rae - I don't think you'll be very happy considering I left this at a cliffhanger too. Haha. Sorry for killing you with the drama!

Guest - Need more too!

NightWhisper184 - Thank you very much! :)

Xaphrin - Coming from someone who has read your amazing stories for a few years, it really makes me happy to know that you actually liked my story! Wow. Thank you so much. :)

AHappyCamper - Haha that first sentence had me laughing so hard. Yes! Man, the thunderstorm. I don't know! I needed some intensity. At this point, who knows if they can fix this mess? Not all stories will have a happy ending. Or they might! We'll never know. I don't even know lol. I just write as I go. I really liked Matched too. "Look! I even painted my nails black for you, Raven!" I almost died of cuteness. :)


	6. Dark Horse

Swirls of black smoke and thick ash swept through the buildings' busted windows. It concealed a smoldering alleyway left in the middle. Hot pieces of dying, tangerine-hued embers lightly flittered from the sky, sizzling in puddles of clouded water once they hit the ground. Withstanding skyscrapers were now charred and crumbled. Nothing was left whole and untouched. A few feet away, enveloped in thick fog, a solitary figure kneeled, overlooking the ruins.

A strong wind blew, leaving her hair strewn and untameable. Whipping across her face, hair clung to her wet, pale skin. Violet eyes shone through dark ash, sharp and piercing. Her indigo cloak flapped behind her, as if she were a bird that would soon take flight. It wasn't until she felt movement beneath her hands that she looked down, eyes narrowing.

His drained image reflected his omnipresent mood: dark and lifeless. Patches of green skin shone through his tattered clothing. With a shaky hand, he patted his body and felt around for his midsection. Lifting his hand to his mouth, he tugged at his glove with his teeth and pulled it off—exposing his fingers. She had never seen them before, considering he always wore gloves.

Unsheathing claws, they extended from underneath his fingernail and he pierced into the stretchy fabric. Curling his fingers, he dug the claw deeper, careful not to puncture anymore skin and created a thin slit. The claws slowly retracted as he lifted his head up. He pulled the both sides of his torn shirt apart. Beast Boy dipped his fingers inside and lifted his hand up. His eyes widened. Blood.

He caught her watching and wiped his hand against his shirt. Beast Boy averted his attention away from his bloodied hand. He gently rested his head back against the concrete and sighed. Masking his concern with a blank expression, Beast Boy folded his hands over the wound and pressed down. It stung—badly. He couldn't help the pain coursing through his body. Beast Boy bit his bottom lip, sinking his teeth into flesh to prevent from screaming out.

At times, Beast Boy wasn't sure if it was his heightened abilities or his animalistic side that could sense fear reeking from her, even if her unchanging expression betrayed this notion. It was second nature, to detect body language, and it usually helped him with missions. Fear was unpredictable and kept him uneasy.

"Scale of one to ten, how bad is it?" he asked, his voice slightly above a whisper. His breaths were becoming shorter and more raspy. "That bad, huh?" She remained silent.

Beast Boy groaned, careful not to move around a lot. "Alright, you dragged me here like we agreed. Thanks Rae, I should be alright until you guys finish up."

"And if we don't?" she tested. Raven glared at the deep gash and blood seeping through his shirt.

Beast Boy swallowed, his throat felt inflamed. "Then—I don't know. Didn't think that far ahead."

His eyes were black and hollow. He was becoming an omen of death. Beast Boy's green face paled drastically. The pool of warm blood turning cold underneath him didn't help steer his mind away from death. Though he was aware she could barely see through the dark as well as he could, Beast Boy allowed a few tears welling in his eyes to roll down his hardened face. He silently swallowed, taking in deep breaths. His unbreakable armor that protected his happy façade had shattered, and his emotions flooded through. Grief and sorrow possessed him, wrapping themselves around Beast Boy. He couldn't believe he would be so reckless in battle. His life was now nothing, he was not worthy enough to keep on living. Raven was close to being drowned in his emotions, but immediately drained them away.

A few rays of light lit up the alley, making it shine radiantly. From her palms, she produced a small ball of blue light and moved closer to the changeling. Giving him a stern look, she instructed, "Don't move."

He nodded obediently, propping up on his elbows to get a better look. Raven pressed down on his abdomen, allowing the charged energy to flow through her fingertips and embark across his raw flesh. He winced, adjusting to its cool touch against his wound and then settled into a relaxed expression. Raven continued to work, narrowing her eyes at his cuts that slowly began to seal. "Five minutes. I'm giving you five minutes to not be an idiot, Beast Boy. Stay back and keep low. Understood?"

He smirked weakly. "Patch me up well enough and I say you've got a deal."

She scowled, in which Beast Boy took as a "yes". She worked vigorously, the hums of crackling energy echoing throughout the alley. As the pain began to slowly subside, he looked up at her face. Lips curled up in a scowl, thin trails of sweat and a mixture of lingering dew drops fell from her face. He figured it couldn't have been tears. Raven didn't cry. His gaze traced every facial feature, eventually reaching her eyes. Beast Boy's eyebrows pulled together.

The violet tint in her irises were slowly becoming engulfed in red. Pale, gray skin stretched back, allowing two crimson-colored slits to form underneath her human eyes. Blood? Hardly. The low growl emitting from her said otherwise.

"Rae," he cautioned. Beast Boy began to slowly back away, pushing his feet upward to slide his body against the concrete. Her hand hadn't moved. The light beamed brighter. "Rae," he repeated, his voice raising higher. Her violet eyes flushed a red hue. A feral grin spread across her face.

The blue light once numbing his body burned and formed into a black flame. It began to claw at him, and peeled back his skin. He winced as he heard pieces of flesh ripping. His spine began to twist, bones sticking through his skin. Beast Boy screamed, a roar emerging from his throat. His body began to shake, burning against contact from the heat. Flesh from his skull had been encased in black and stretched backwards. His agonized screams grew louder.

"Raven!"

She blinked, adjusting to her surroundings. The common room.

Her body had levitated above the floor. Gaining consciousness and finding Beast Boy in her face, she became startled. He lifted an eyebrow.

"Crazy dream, huh? You were totally spazzing," he joked, pretending to twitch uncontrollably. When Beast Boy was met with a glare, he chuckled. "It was a joke, Raven. Sheesh!"

Raven pressed her hand to her forehead. Her skin felt warm. She sighed. "What do you want?"

He took a moment, watching her carefully. She seemed a bit unstable and confused. Then again, he did interrupt her meditation. Beast Boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't you hear the alarm? Let's go!"

She looked up at the ceiling. Flashes of red flooded her face as the alarm blared. Her gaze fell to Beast Boy who had already made his way halfway out the door. He turned around, motioning for her to follow before shifting into a hawk. The door slammed shut behind him.

. . .

Raven couldn't understand what would be of importance at an empty warehouse. Important enough to set off the Titans' alarm. The city used to store hardware supplies there, but they were all gone now. Quite frankly, no one had reached that part in months since it went out of business. Desolate and uninhabitable areas left a foreboding feeling. One that Raven couldn't seem to shake. With Nightwing ordering the team into assigned groups, she felt a small burdening chip lifted off her shoulders. At least she wouldn't have to go alone.

Normally, Raven enjoyed isolation from the others, but this trepidation that clung onto her was a newfound feeling she was still unsure of. Maybe company could distract her from the gruesome encounter earlier that left a vivid image painted in her mind.

The dull, gray linoleum flooring had endless cracks. Some cracks, if weren't carefully inspected, revealed a deep crevice. Easy for one's foot to slip through. Dark brown paint peeled off the walls, revealing it's rotting frame and formation of black mold. Due to the room's high humidity and water damage over the years, it left an enclosed odor. From the corner of the ceiling, a trail of water dripped and fell into a dented, plastic bucket. The air felt hollow and stale. Dead.

Beast Boy flipped on a switch and groaned when the ceiling light fixtures gave so much as a weak buzz and fizzled out. From afar, a loud pop of broken, overheated light bulbs followed by glass shattering on the floor. He turned to Raven, tossing her a smug look. "Scared of the dark, Rae?"

She marched past him. "It wasn't me, keep moving."

"If you say so."

Beast Boy jogged ahead and kept his eyes fixated on the ground. His steps were careful and performed quickly. Occasionally, he'd point out a crevice ahead or sharp piece of flooring sticking up. Without much light, it made it difficult to catch all hazards but he did them effortlessly. It was times like these that made Beast Boy grateful for his abilities.

The two set up a patrol station on a nearby ledge, watching in silence for any sign of trouble. Raven figured Starfire and Cyborg had already set foot around the perimeter, and Nightwing was probably going through each room down every single hallway. This left them to watch the storage area—and wait.

And wait.

She had to admit, being paired with Beast Boy amounted to a certain level of skepticism. Raven's thin line of patience for absurdity and childish gimmicks were a different story. But oddly, he was eerily quiet. Too quiet, but just enough to suffice. Raven wouldn't question it.

Beast Boy had his feet swinging over the ledge, gently kicking back and forth. He leant his head backwards and rolled it around a few times. Their silent charades had gone on another five minutes before Beast Boy began to lose his patience. It wasn't long before his own breakdown of emotional annoyance began to annoy Raven. His mind would wander, finding preoccupancy in the "little" things. He'd grow bored, then suddenly excited, and finally annoyed when his plans all became a dud. Due to his emotions randomly switching back and forth, Raven longed for a mute button—or for him to make up his mind. She felt a sense of gratitude compel her when he had finally toned down his sporadic emotions and eased into a state of contentment. Raven opened her eyes, and turned to look at Beast Boy. He was picking at a piece of string on his uniform, and growled under his breath when he was unable to rip it off. She rolled her eyes. Of course he couldn't rip the string apart, he had on gloves. She froze, a mental image of his tattered gloves flashed from earlier. She pushed all thoughts away and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm unable to pick up a third presence," she finally spoke, cutting through the silence. Beast Boy immediately looked up, alarmed, once he heard the voice. "Can you smell or hear anything?"

"Uh. Give me a second." Beast Boy stuck his nose in the air and took in a deep breath. After exhaling, he slumped. "Someone totally laced this place up. I can't get a scent."

"As for sound?"

He used his thumb to gesture toward the plastic bucket placed against the wall. "The leaks in this building make it hard to catch just one sound."

"Fantastic." Her two index fingers pressed against the side of her head and she massaged her temples in a circular motion. "Honestly, I just want to get back to the Tower."

"Ditto," Beast Boy sighed. He glanced over at the empath. It was dark, but he could tell she had been using it to her advantage to conceal the heavy bags underneath her eyes. Her lips silently mouthed her mantra as she pressed her fingers harder against her temple. It wasn't often that when Raven meditated, she seemed uncomfortable. Beast Boy could detect she was on edge. Something that bothered Raven, who rarely let anything deter her mood, definitely had to be serious. Beast Boy stared ahead, scanning the room with his eyes. He eventually settled them on piles of torn cardboard boxes. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

She stopped chanting to herself and quirked an eyebrow.

Beast Boy held his hands up defensively. "Just saying. If you wanna talk, I'm all ears. Literally." He wiggled his pointy ears. When given a half-hearted shrug in return, he stopped smiling and frowned. The ear wiggling trick usually got everyone to crack under pressure. He huffed and his eyes found their way back to the boxes.

It was difficult to focus considering she had to be on the lookout for trouble and she was constantly being interrupted. With Beast Boy's current fluctuations, it was hard to block out. Her choice to ignore his offer soaked the girl in a pool of concern and dejection. Very minor, for dejection, but a warm sliver of his emanating emotions curled around her. The warmth of his concern allowed her cheeks to briefly flush a pink hue. Before Beast Boy could open his mouth again, she spoke. "Let's split up," Raven quickly said, cutting him off.

"What?" He gave her a look of incredulity. Beast Boy shook his head. "Whoa, whoa, hey! Nightwing put us in pairs for a reason. Just wait it out."

"There's no point. We're dead weight in here. You can't sense anything and neither can I," Raven sighed. She felt around for the hem and gently tugged the cloak's hood over her head. "We're wasting time."

"Yeah? Well..I don't think that's safe to split up either," he growled, defiantly folding his arms over his chest. A slight pang and twist in his stomach was enough reason for him to stay. Something felt off. He was positive Raven felt it too. From the depths of her cloak, her face had been a much lighter shade of gray. Almost sickly. But the determined glare she had when holding his own stare confirmed Raven didn't have immediate plans to back down. If they fell into a trap venturing alone, he wouldn't forgive himself for it. Beast Boy caved, looking down at his gloves. He sighed. "Alright. I'm in. So where are we headed?"

"Take on the left corridors, I'll check the right. We'll regroup in fifteen tops."

"Got it."

"Is your communicator on?" she asked.

He grinned, patting his communicator latched onto the belt. "All the time."

Raven rose to her feet, beginning to take a step off the ledge. "Good."

He wasn't sure what triggered his actions. It may have been fear of the unknown, it may have been for luck. Or, it may have been to let his teammate know that everything troubling her—would be alright. His hand edged towards hers slightly, until she felt his fingertips brush her hand. Palms touched and fingers entwined, the bases of their hands were close in proximity. The changeling held her hand and with a gentle squeeze, released. He rotated on the ball of his heel and walked back to his assigned direction. Peering over his shoulder, he called, "Just be careful, Rae."

She slowly nodded, taking a final step off the ledge and into flight. Her gaze traveled to her hand. Usually his open hand resulted in a prank or some sort of buzzer that'd shock her. But he hadn't. A slight flush of pink lightly powdered her cheeks. Raven's head tilted. Odd.

Maneuvering out the area, she waved her hand across the open space, creating an archway of dead energy to form in front of her. Narrowing her eyes, she increased her speed and flew into it as the portal closed behind her.

. . .

Fifteen minutes felt like an hour. He didn't mind, necessarily, having the chance to walk around and stretch his legs. Being perched on a small ledge for so long could only provide a limited amount of comfort for the changeling's grown body. But this trip wasn't for leisure, he was on a mission. What he needed to look for, he wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure they needed to split up in the first place, probably some lame excuse for Raven to run away from awkward silence. She did that often. He shrugged; he was used to it.

His trail had led him to a hallway stacked with cardboard boxes. He had clawed open each one, finding nothing but empty plastic bags and peanut stuffing. A loss. Beast Boy closed the final box and heaved a sigh. This whole mission was pointless.

He detached his communicator from the utility belt and ran his thumb against the lid. The light hadn't blinked red, which informed him that no one had contacted him yet. He sighed again. Perhaps Raven was having better luck. Shoving the communicator in his pocket, Beast Boy headed toward the exit. He cursed under his breath as the soles of his boot made squeaking noises.

In a way, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It was one thing to walk down a dark hallway alone, but it was another thing to feel watched. Beast Boy rubbed his arms up and down, ridding himself of the goosebumps forming on his skin. It was a long trek back. If he were to morph into a bird or four-legged mammal, he wouldn't have a problem. But his limbs had ached, and he didn't feel like shifting at the moment. His ear twitched and he stopped moving. A cool, hollow breeze sifted through Beast Boy's hair. Glancing over his shoulder, a small grin played along his lips.

"Jeez, Rae, what'd I tell you about sneaking up on people like that?" The dark figure behind him didn't move. Beast Boy turned his whole body around and slowly approached it. The grin on his face faltered into a scowl as he recognized the metal armor. "And you aren't Raven," he muttered.

It lifted its arm up as Beast Boy grew closer. The changeling furrowed his eyebrows and held his own hands up in mock surrender. A glow of translucent, orange light from its palm illuminated the hallway. The beam of light had a wavy texture, a mirage somewhat, of layered heat. A bright, tangerine color washed over Beast Boy's face. It made a humming sound, loud enough for Beast Boy to feel the vibrations rumble throughout his body. He began to take a step back, eyeing the machinery carefully, before rotating on the ball of his heel and breaking into a sprint. As the circular light maximized in size, the bot made a clicking sound, and released a bolt of energy. Beast Boy dodged out of the way; but not quick enough as it grazed his uniform.

The blast of energy colliding with Beast Boy's body slammed him against the wall. He groaned and dropped to the ground with a thud. Beast Boy began to shake uncontrollably, a low whimper escaping his lips. The sladebot ceased fire, dropping its hand to its side. A red, narrow beam of laser-like light emitted from the metal soldier's eye socket. It scanned over Beast Boy's frame, projecting a series of symbols over his body. Beast Boy shut his eyes as the laser moved to his forehead. It scanned him a second time, producing a red holographic image of a barcode. With a green button blinking on its forearm, the red light dispersed and the bot shifted back into an upright standing position.

Beast Boy shakily crawled, attempting to lift himself up. Everything around him was blurred. He could barely see the sladebot moving as he slipped in and out of consciousness, eyes fighting to stay open. His hands balled into fists and he pushed himself up. But as his knees and arms wobbled, Beast Boy slumped over. He winced once his arm made contact with the ground.

The blast had produced a sharp cut, tearing apart a piece of his uniform. His flesh felt like it was on fire and he couldn't rid himself of its burning sensation. He pressed his hand against the raw, exposed skin and narrowed his eyes.

The bot marched forward, shaking the ground with each heavy footstep. Its steel boot stomped into the floor, creating miniature cratered footprints. Beast Boy's head snapped upwards, eyes forming black, thin slits as he glared at the sladebot. "And you definitely aren't such a friendly dude, either."

. . .

Raven eyes darted to her communicator. No calls. She sighed and pulled her cloak closer together. She knew the whole "splitting up" mission would be unsuccessful, but there wasn't anything that could convince her to stay on that ledge any longer. The closer he came, the more premonitions she had. She wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid of feeling something for him. It had never happened to her before, and everything was new. She needed space.

The right corridor was empty. Raven had figured this out within the first five minutes, though she didn't necessarily need a reason to return early. The farther he was from her, the more she could think. She took this as an opening for a quick ten minute meditation period. Patting the ground, she sat down and positioned herself for a meditative trance. Her breath hitched when the exit's metal doors slammed shut. She was locked inside the hallway.

Her first instinct wasn't to panic, she could easily teleport out. But as her eyes scanned the hallway, it was then that Raven realized she wasn't alone. From afar, a stream of red light shone at her. Raven's eyes traced the light as it beamed at her arms and moved upwards toward her forehead. She shuddered at the barcode projection glowing on her cloak and glanced up at the dark figure against the door. From what she could sense, which wasn't anything, this intruder wasn't human. Nor was it living. Her eyes narrowed. Was this thing scanning her?

It powered down, retracting all projections, leaving her in complete darkness. She wasn't to be fooled even with the silence. This presence was still there. She got to her feet, hand gently feeling against the wall for assistance. Her movement seemed to trigger a reaction, for a faint glow of orange light lit the once darkened hallway. Raven's head tilted as she stared the bot down, a creation of Slade's, equipped in full black body armor and copper masks. She glanced at the weapon aimed at her—a fully charged ball of heat, readied for destruction.

Raven calmly lifted her hands, specks of white and black crackling from her fingertips. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The bot charged at her, releasing a bullet of hot energy. She ducked her head low as the circular blast smashed into her shield. Though she could hold her own, Raven's eyes widened as cracks began to form across the protective plate. It would soon give way. She pushed forward and using all her wit, swung around to knock the bot off balance. It stumbled into a wall, buying her a few seconds to conjure enough energy, but to no avail as it lunged at her. The force between shoving into her, caused the wind to be knocked out of Raven and she skidded across the floor. She scraped her fingernails against the floor attempting to slow down. Her chest heaved up and down as she caught her breath, glared eyes piercing into her attacker. "Alright. Let's play," she hissed.

She followed up with a quick swing of her fist, projecting solid bolts of razor-sharp blades at her foe. Taking the steady flow of hits, the bot gained momentum by pushing off the wall towards Raven. Without much light, it was difficult to detect the bot's swift movements. It collided with her, opting to wrap its legs around Raven's neck.

The maneuver caught her off guard as she was recovering from the chokehold it currently had her in. She gasped for air. Her hands pounded against the metal, hoping to dent its exterior. It jerked to the right and swung Raven around. Once the bot was directly behind his opponent, it curled its legs and angled its body towards the ground. Putting the weight of its jump into a powerful throw. Raven was violently pulled off her feet and thrown across the floor.

She skidded uncontrollably and tumbled along the ground. Her fall was stopped by slamming into the door. A groan escaped her lips as the pain from the attack started to set in. Raven lifted a shaky hand and caressed her neck with her fingertips, deeply inhaling.

She winced hearing the clanks of heavy footsteps approach her. As a beam of red light shone at her a second time, Raven's lips curled into a snarl. "Enough!" she commanded.

As the bot lifted its boot to crush her body, she rolled to the side, covering her face. Its heavy stomp made the ground rumble, but had not come in contact with her. The metal soldier turned to face her. She pressed her back against the wall, and slowly pushed herself upward. Her eyes began to glow white. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

She waved her hand, encasing the metal foe in a dome shaped barrier. Clasping her hands together, the dome compressed. She felt a smirk tug at her lips when she heard the indentation of armor and sparked circuitry. Flattening it out in the air, she spun it sideways into an uncontrollable rotation, until the barrier broke apart. The mutilated bot dropped the ground. With a final pop, a puff of black smoke billowed in the air as its circuits fizzled out.

Blowing a sigh of relief, she ran her fingers through her hair and slid down the wall. She sat staring at the robot, the only noise echoing in the hallway was buzzes produced from fried computer systems. She pinched the bridge of her nose. At least Beast Boy didn't have to deal with that.

Her eyes shot open.

"Beast Boy," she called. Raven scrambled to her feet, enveloping herself in black aura before disappearing from sight.

. . .

The entire hall fell silent. Beast Boy cracked his knuckles before rushing toward his attacker. Pulling his fist back, he took a heavy swing at the bot, but stumbled as it dodged his blow. It side swept its feet, knocking Beast Boy over and falling to the ground. Beast Boy's knee scraped against the floor as he skid. He grunted, peering over his shoulder at the metal soldier sprinting after him. Before it had a chance to snatch the changeling's leg, he disappeared. The hallway was empty.

The bot froze as the room grew eerily silent. From afar, a drop of water fell into the plastic bucket as the bot aimed its cannon at a green fly crawling on the ceiling. It dropped onto the bot's shoulder and shifted into Beast Boy's human form.

He pulled his lips back, baring his fangs and swiped at the metal armor. Beast Boy growled as the bot tugged him from the back of his shirt and tossed him forward. The changeling let go, using his teeth to rip off his gloves. Beast Boy smirked.

He spun his body around and swept his foot underneath the metal soldier's. Beast Boy rolled forward and cocked his arm back to throw a punch. A chest plate installed in the boy's armor dented as Beast Boy swung again, creating a deep hole. He crouched atop the bot and unsheathed his claws. Stabbing them inside its mask, Beast Boy pulled his hands in opposite directions, prying its face open. He clenched his teeth as it ripped apart. Pieces of flung metal clanked against the wall. With a bright spark, the circuitry inside powered down. Beast Boy sighed and retracted his claws. His hands felt around the floor until he retrieved his gloves and slid them on his hands.

Once he rose, Beast Boy glared at the sladebot. He gave it a final kick before pressing his forehead against the wall. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head as he panted. The thumping of his heartbeat combined with the constant drops of water drowned out any audible sound. He was tired—and he wanted to go home.

His ear began to twitch upon hearing the steady thumps of footsteps. Peering to his right, Beast Boy narrowed his eyes and peeled himself from the wall. He winced as his arm a sent sharp-shooting pain through his body. Beast Boy gripped his arm with his free hand and sprinted toward the sound.

Upon reaching the exit, he collided with a body. She glanced up, a small glint of relief in her eyes. He grinned, running his fingers through his hair. "Dude, Rae!" he exclaimed. "That was crazy! There were—"

"Sladebots," she finished. Raven nodded. "I have a feeling they're surrounding the entire building." She pulled out her communicator. Her face hardened. "No calls. If they haven't found them now—"

"They're gonna run into 'em later," he mumbled. His eyebrows furrowed. "You—you didn't run into him, did you?"

She shook her head. "No." Her gaze dropped to her feet. "However, I highly doubt he's here. He's probably close or this—was a setup."

"Throwing us off track with a fake ambush." Beast Boy scratched his chin as he thought. "Dude's delusional, but I've gotta give it to him. His little robots put up a hell of a fight." When given no response, he hunched his shoulders. "Alright, guess we've gotta find the others."

He walked past her, scanning the area with his eyes for an exit. When he found that she did not follow, he peered over his shoulder. Her stare lingered on his arm. "What?"

"Your arm. What's wrong with it?"

"Oh.." He frowned, gripping his hand tighter around it. "Nothin'. Just a scratch." Beast Boy sighed and turned around. "Let's drop it, alright?"

She nodded, following behind him. When his arm had lowered, the deep bloodied gash became visible. He noticed her come to an abrupt stop, glaring at his wound.

_He pulled the both sides of his torn shirt apart. Beast Boy dipped his fingers inside and lifted his hand up. His eyes widened. Blood_.

The sudden flash of memory from earlier caused her legs began to wobble and Beast Boy quickly helped her up. "Whoa, you okay there?" Her head felt faint, she felt like crawling out of her skin. Putting pressure on opposite feet, she unsteadily swayed from right to left. He stood in front of her, waving his hands in her face. "Raven?" he repeated.

She could see it. His lips were moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. He was speaking too fast. Why was he shouting at her? His emotions had spiked, skyrocketing from a calm state to completely panicked. The overwhelming feeling was enough to send her eyes rolling back into her head. He shook her shoulders as her head fell forward, eyes fluttering open. His eyes swiveled from left to right as he searched her eyes for any sign of coherency. He had told her to blink twice if she could hear him, she obliged. His tone was soft and concerned. He eventually gave in to using hand gestures, though she hadn't paid attention, mental images of blood flashing through her mind. She could barely comprehend what he had been slurring until he sighed.

"You know, Rae? Don't go freakin' me out and dying on me. I tell ya, it's worse enough having half my guts sliced open." He chuckled, though half-heartedly. Beast Boy placed a hand on her shoulder. "I dunno—I just want you to be okay. Okay?" When the shift in her facial expression went from paled to its trademark stoic, he grinned and leant his head back. "Ah. There ya go."

He watched her carefully as she regained composure, allowing ten minutes to pass before he deemed her well enough to walk. She insisted she was fine, for which he held her gaze, searching for any dishonesty. He eventually relented, not letting her out of his sight.

Beast Boy awkwardly stood back, giving her space to move. But as he had, she had taken a careful step forward, looking down at her feet. A small smile graced his lips and faltered when she looked up; a hint of uncertainty in her eyes with the closed in space between the two. He found himself looking back, then down at her hands. Her fingers curled over and she cautiously, but gently, rested against his chest. This action, confused her, but felt right. She was swarmed with fear, doubt, and consequences. He had only looked down at her with the same shared curiosity.

A slow lift of rising on her tip toes and she could feel the tip of his nose against hers. Her gaze dropped, slightly unsure of whether her judgment was clouded. A warmth ran through her body as his mouth pressed slowly around hers. It was was gentle yet insistent. An edge of urgency about the kiss; a newfound hunger that might suddenly rage out of control, yet tender.

_Flesh from his skull had been encased in black and stretched backwards. His agonized screams grew louder._

_"Raven!"_

A barrier of dark energy shot in between them, as he was shoved away from her. He hit his back against the wall, tossing her a bewildered look. Raven clutched her head, mentally pleading for the screaming to end. Her fingers gently touched her lips and she felt her breath hitch. She glanced up at him, stabbing an accusatory finger in his direction. "Stay away from me, Garfield," she warned.

"Wait, Raven—"

Before he could grab her wrist, he was left with an open palm releasing a cloud of black smoke. He swatted it away, waving his hands around. She was gone.

Raven wanted him to leave her alone. So he had.

Weeks passed and even then, he couldn't stand the way she looked at him with guilt.

She didn't regret it, did she?

* * *

His reply hadn't been too far away. She glanced around, until her eyes settled on an alleyway across the street. The emotional turmoil reeking from that area confirmed he had been there. She didn't hesitate to give it a second thought, rushing across the way as she sloshed through deep puddles of water. Wind whipped against her face as she sped faster, roar of thunder rumbling through her bones. His sharp shooting spikes of emotion edged the empath closer.

And for a split second, all feeling fell silent.

"Gar."

An inexplicable expression crossed her face as she approached the alleyway, panting heavily. Empty.

She called again, and again. No response. No sudden rushes of his presence, no sudden spikes of adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Empty.

She glanced up at the dark sky, as her hood fell off her soaked hair. Her gaze was hollow and dead as rain drops slid down her face. In that moment, her face contorted into a scowl. Her lips pulled back over her teeth and heaving in a pained, heavy breath—she shouted. Shouted her pain, her anger against the heavy thunderclaps. Balling her fists, she allowed the downpour of rain to drench her entire frame, relishing in its cool touch against her skin. A dense flame of radiating anger built inside of her.

He was gone.

. . .

Her feet sunk into the sand as she trudged upward. The sound of violent waves lapped against the island's boulders and Raven hugged her arms. She was cold.

She was tired.

At least the rain had ceased. Though a few sprinkles of lingering raindrops would prod her. Her lips quivered, and her teeth chattered as she lifted her foot and sunk it into the sand—moving forward. Her wet hair clung to her skin, depositing pockets of water down her back. She was cold. She felt heavy. She felt empty.

She was empty.

Her eyes traced the figure, sitting with knees hugged up to their chest. Raven's glance fell to the sand and she pushed herself forward, walking toward the Tower. The sound of wet sand crunching beneath her feet preoccupied her frenzy of incoherent thoughts. She felt her body jerk backward upon hearing him speak.

"He's not coming back—is he?"

A simple inquiry, with such complex answers. Nightwing had stared out at the horizon, now shimmering with lights as the city had turned in for the day—preparing for nightfall. He didn't turn to look at her, he didn't even flinch when she lowered her head and walked away.

* * *

**The kiss was inspired by Teen Titans Vol. 3 #30 in which Raven initiates it. Beast Boy's line,"I just want you to be okay" was originally Raven's. In the meantime while we await an update, if you want a little BBRae fluff, check out my recent one-shot "The First Time" :)**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter all the same and please leave a review.**

**Dewittypinkerton** - **Your review certainly did inspire me to write more dialogue. I hate writing Nightwing/Robin as super mean, but I needed him to be a little bit serious for that chapter only. I love Nightwing/Robin, I would never want to portray him in a negative light! Thank you for your lovely review :)**

**Guest - Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. I'm so flattered.**

**AHappyCamper - THANK YOU! Well..guess we know what somewhat happened. Haha. Hopefully they work this out. It's killing me too.**

**Kaarlinaa - Aw, thank you. I will continue. Don't worry. :)**

**Guest - I'm glad it exceeded your expectations. Thank you!**

**Mrs. DylanlightwoodIvashkov - Awesome username. I like attempting to say it. And thank you so much!**

**BB's Rae - I appreciate your kind reviews. Thank you so much**.


End file.
